


Yellow Tape Love

by Taeunnie



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Murder, Trigger Warnings, everything implied is not explicitly described, spy vs spy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:07:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 26,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24982810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taeunnie/pseuds/Taeunnie
Summary: [England x Reader x Russia] As the top assassin in the Russian syndicate, you are now assigned to manipulate the English detective and distract him from the ultimate Russian plans.
Relationships: England (Hetalia)/Reader, Russia (Hetalia)/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **TW: Blood and graphing description of murder**

“Look at her, eh? A true beauty, this one.”

These men were disgusting to her, but she had a mission to complete. (y/n) was Russian property with free reign and she could only maintain her high status among her peers by becoming the best of all her sisters. She had a mission. Seduce and destroy. The man she toyed with tonight had information that her boss demanded and she would do anything to keep him happy. Male of caucasian descent, mid-thirties, and the light ring of skin that contrasted against the tanner look of his left hand either implied that he was just divorced or he was cheating. Either way, she didn’t care. 

She sat giddily on the man’s lap, laughing with him, flirting with him, and sipping the champagne he poured generously into her glass. She could tolerate the liquor in her system but he couldn’t and she could tell. Flushed cheeks, slurred speech, and the moronic look of him trying to keep his eyes open. She leaned in close to his ear and whispered innocently to him.

“Do you wanna get out of here?”

A devious smirk plastered the man’s face and she could tell from the rowdy cheers of his friends surrounding them. He picked the girl up bridal style and all of them came stumbling out of the bar together. He unlocked the door to his house and (y/n) took a quick glance around the neighborhood and noticed a woman at the door in front of the house across the street. It was, however, just a quick glance before the man slung his arm over her shoulder and walked inside with her. Once the door closed behind them, she led him to the couch in the living room and dropped him down into it. She stood before him with her arms crossed and a finger tapping at her arm.

“How are you feeling? Are you feeling good?”

She asked sweetly. He nodded and giggled childishly, as he was still drunk. She leaned closer to him and leveled her cold (e/c) eyes with his lost reddened ones.

“Are you feeling lucky?”

She asked with less sweetness in her tone. She could tell that she was finally starting to get through to the man.

“What are you doing babes? Come sit on my lap like you used to.”

He patted his lap and smiled drunkenly. She rolled her eyes, tiring of his antics. She grasped his chin forcefully and steadied his gaze on her, her nails starting to dig into his skin.

“I’m only going to ask you this once, and you better answer me truthfully if you wish to see the light of day ever again. Where is the information that you have gathered on Ivan Braginski?”

A light glinted in his eyes and he began to show fear. She smirked and released her grip on him, tossing him back into the couch. She laughed.

“I know what you’re thinking! What does this woman know about Ivan? How did she know about me? I’ll tell you what darling, I can guarantee you your life if only you give me what I ask for. Can you do that for me?”

He cast his frightened gaze away from her and tsked. He sighed, finally accepting the position that he was in. He stood up from the couch and walked upstairs, leaving (y/n) by herself. She snuck into his kitchen and grabbed the biggest knife she could before waiting in her original place, hiding the knife behind her. He walked back to her with a thick folder full of papers and handed it to her. She grabbed his extended wrist in an instant and pulled him close enough to her for a straight stab through his throat. She grabbed the file as he fell to the floor, choking on his blood.

“It’s no hard feeling darling. I might’ve promised your survival but I am not loyal to you. In another life, I pray you won’t make the same mistakes.”

He spat blood at her feet before giving up his last thread of life. She sighed, exhausted but her job was not done yet. She created the perfect scenario and made it look like she fended for her life. Blood splattered her body, some caught in her hair, and she tore her clothes. She grabbed a coat hanging near the door and covered the files with it. She took off her shoes and held them close to her chest. Once she opened the door, she ran away as if she were afraid, purposefully leaving the door open in her false carelessness and ran as far away from the neighborhood before fitting herself in a dark corner. She took out her phone and contacted those in charge of her mission.

“I have the files and the man has been taken care of,”

“Congratulations agent (l/n). Head to your rendezvous point and get ready for tomorrow. We need you to meet with the detective of this case to relieve yourself of all suspicion.”

“Of course.”

She hung up the phone and headed to the back entrance of the hotel she was staying at so as to not get caught and questioned by the general public. This should be enough to make her a prime suspect but not get arrested. Everything would fall into place soon.


	2. Chapter I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TW: Blood and dead body**

"It happened again."

His partner stated as she handed the detective a folder. He grabbed it and quickly skimmed through the notes on tonight's victim.

"Male of Caucasian descent, mid-thirties, recently divorced. I checked with his neighbors and found out that he was with a random woman almost every other night for the past month since his divorce."

"I see. And what of tonight?"

The detective asked and his partner nodded her head. She lifted the caution tape that marked the entrance of the victim's house for the detective and she followed in behind him. 

"Where is she then?"

"Nowhere in the house. We assume she might've been the one to kill him."

"Any information on her?"

"None as far as we know, sir."

The shuttering of flashes became clearer as they entered the crime scene. Deep crimson blood splattered the floral print wallpaper and pooled on the floor next to the mutilated body. Sporadic stab wounds covered the body from head to torso along with some scratches on his face. If it were of any concern…

“It looks like self-defense. There’s solid evidence that looks like a fight would’ve broken out between them. But why go as far as killing him when she could’ve just ran?

The detective’s partner, Michelle, questioned. Detective Kirkland was the best in homicide, but that never stopped questions like this from running through his head. “Why go as far as killing him?” The assailant, as far as they could deduct, was a female who could’ve been fighting for her life. The stab wounds prove that she’s not a skilled assassin which leads to murder potentially being her only way out. And since the victim is dead, the only thing left to do was to either find the assailant or wait for her to come to him. Detective Kirkland turned to his partner and tilted his head to the door, signing for a way out. They walked out of the house to the detective’s car and he stopped just before opening his door. 

“Michelle, A woman killing a man like that either means that he was more dangerous than we thought or that we’re dumber than we look. Meet me in the office early tomorrow. We have to visit someone important in order to kick the case off the ground.”

Despite not looking in her direction, Michelle still nodded wordlessly in affirmation before heading back to the crime scene. Kirkland got in his car and sat in complete silence, left momentarily to his thoughts before turning it on and driving away.


	3. Chapter II

(y/n) stepped out of the smoggy bathroom with a long, cream-colored, silk nightgown on and a towel wrapped around her hair completely unaware of what was awaiting her in the next room. She opened the double doors to the master bedroom and the atmosphere immediately changed. She cautiously stepped into the room while removing the towel from her head and holding it tightly in both hands.

“Hello, agent. I see that you have executed your duties smoothly.”

His voice instantly chilled through her body but she was joyous nonetheless. She dropped her towel and turned to the seated figure in the far left corner of her room. She contained her smile as she placed her left hand over her heart and bowed to the Russian man. He smiled and rose from his seat to stand in front of the bowing woman. He placed a hand on her shoulder easily and chuckled.

“Please raise your head, _моя дорогая (moya dorogaya)_. Know that you are always safe with me.”

She perked her head up in an instant and practically jumped into the Russian man’s arms. He enveloped her in a warm hug and stroked her damp hair. They stayed in their tender position for minutes at a time and (y/n) could feel the tears threatening to reveal themselves at the corners of her eyes, but she held back. They broke away from the hug and looked at each other with soft eyes for just a moment. (y/n) was the first to speak.

“Why are you here Ivan? I had the files ready and I was coming home the day after tomorrow.”

“I know…”

“Then why?”

“It seems that I may personally need to change your plans. The detective on your case is not just any old hoot with an eye for beautiful women.”

“What do you mean?”

“I watched them congregate at the crime scene and I recognized the detective. Arthur Kirkland is very thorough with his investigations and has come too close to finding me many times over. My love, It is imperative that you not only keep your true self a secret but to manipulate his actions to the very best of your abilities.”

His words stung like aggravated wasps to the heart of the assassin and she couldn’t control her emotions. She shook her head furiously in negation to his plan. He, on the other hand, had a bigger image. He took her chin tenderly in his hand and lifted her head to meet his now cold violet eyes. Her breath hitched as she looked at him and knew that she had done something wrong. She shakingly drew in a breath and spoke calmly to him.

“How long before I come home? How long before I can be by your side once again?”

“Our vision is coming along smoothly _моя любовь (moya lyubov)_. You may not need more than two months. We will keep in contact with you less frequently to maintain your cover but we will let you know when we are ready to proceed with the plan. Do you understand?”

She nodded and repeated her mission back to him.

“My mission is to delay your further investigation and derail detective Kirkland.”

He smiled sweetly and leaned over to place a delicate kiss on the woman’s lips. He released his hold on her and looked over her one last time before leaving through the balcony where he came in. (y/n) stood in the center of her room tenderly stroking her just kissed lips. The tears that she fought hard to hold back finally fell from her deadening eyes as she stared at the empty balcony, the curtains flowing gingerly in the gentle night wind. She still needed to go to the station the next morning but she now had the new mission of accompanying this detective no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _моя дорогая-My darling_
> 
> _моя любовь-My love_


	4. Chapter III

Michelle entered the station early the next morning and was met with fading emerald eyes peering at her from multiple open folders. Arthur gestured to the cup of coffee on the edge of his desk for his partner and she walked up to it.

"Four cream, three sugar?"

She quizzed him randomly and was met with just a silent nod in response. She took a sip of the warm liquid and sighed contently before leaning on the detective's desk.

"So what's the plan for today?"

"A divorcee. Namely, our victim's ex-wife."

Michelle, with newfound interest, moved from Arthur's desk to the seat in front of it and gave him her undivided attention. Amused at her easy interest, he handed her a copy of the notes in front of him and they skimmed through it together.

"We may not know the killer but Mrs. Doe here will give us everything we need to know about our victim."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's roll out!"

Both closed their folder of files and laid them back on the desk before leaving for their destination. 7:30 am. By the time they make it to Mrs. Doe's house, it should be 8 and with more than enough time for a story or two of the information they need. 

They arrive at their destination and Arthur gives three strong knocks to the door, Michelle standing behind him. There was a faint 'coming' from within the house and a moment later a frazzled woman opened the door.

"What's all this?"

"Good morning ma'am. I'm detecting Kirkland and behind me is my partner Michelle. We would like to speak to you for a moment.

She constantly tightened and fumbled at her robe's belt as she weighed her options. Finally sighing, she stepped aside and let them, closing the door behind them. She led them to the kitchen where they took a seat at a small table near the window.

“Coffee? Tea?”

“Tea for us, please.”

Arthur spoke. After a while, Mrs. Doe returned with a tray of three mugs and placed one in front of each person before taking a seat in the middle. Her hands wrapped around the warm mug more for comfort if anything else.

“Mrs. Doe-”

“Jules, please.”

“Of course.”

Michelle cleared her throat before trying to speak again.

“Jules, your ex-husband was murdered last night.”

Her hands trembled slightly, causing her to grasp the mug tighter. She looked down into the steaming liquid and refused to look at the detective’s partner.

“What’s that got to do with me? I divorced him not even a month ago but he’s been going out nonstop since I left. Hell, he’s been doing that even before I left him. If you ask me, I think it serves him right.”

“Speaking like that could get you arrested, ma’am.”

Arthur spoke coldly. He shot an intense gaze at the woman who still refused to look at anyone and sighed. Michelle continued to speak for him.

“We just want to know his background. We approached the crime scene last night and found that his murder was a rather poor attempt at self-defense. Was your husband ever the type for abuse of any kind?”

“ **Ex** -husband. But despite his constant outings, for as long as I’ve known him he was a sweet enough man. Never put his hands on any woman who didn’t want it.”

“Can you tell us more about him? Like his occupation?”

Arthur interjected calmly. Jules sighed before cooling and taking a sip of her tea. She finally decided to look at the man.

“He used to be so secretive about his work. It got to the point where one day I stalked around just to find out what he did. Turns out, he used to work for British Intel. I chose not to mention it to him since I knew he wanted to keep me safe but he became more and more distant since that day. We finally settled the divorce and then I never spoke to him or of him ever again.”

“I see…”

Arthur and Michelle exchanged a quick glance at each other before taking a sip of their own drinks. 8:25 am. It would, however, be rude to leave before finishing their tea. They had enough time after all.

Jules led the pair out of her house and wished them well on their way. The two thanked her and walked out to the car that they came in. Michelle was oddly giddy after getting in and he could clearly sense it.

“Alright, spit it out.”

“My month off got approved! I hope you won’t miss me too much while I’m gone.”

She mocked in a saddened tone. Arthur shook his head slightly and chuckled.

“A month? Let’s just hope all crime stops while you’re away.”

The two shared a small chuckle on the way back to the station.

Once entering the building, They walked past a seated, shadow figure, not noticing her until she spoke. Her unfamiliar voice caught the immediate attention of the pair and they turned to look at her.

“Excuse me, but are you detective Kirkland?”

“Who’s asking?”

“My name is (y/n). I urgently need to speak to you.”


	5. Chapter IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TW: Implied rape**

“My mission is to delay your further investigation and derail detective Kirkland.”

That was her mission and she would do anything in her power to make it come to fruition. (y/n) packed the small duffle she carried with loose articles of clothing and changed into more comfortable and unsuspecting clothes. Black skinny jeans, a black tank top, and an oversized red varsity jacket. With no space for any other shoes, she was forced to wear the heels she had on last night. She spent the night before inspecting and cleaning them of any traces of blood that might have remained. She left the hotel room with the little bit of belongings that she had and left for the police station nearest to the scene of her crime.

“Excuse me, do you know where I can find detective Kirkland?”

She asked the officer at the front desk. He, to put it lightly, didn’t really care. He rolled his eyes before answering her.

“He just stepped out. Take a seat over there and we’ll let you know when he gets here.”

He said in a monotone voice and pointed to the linked row of seats in front of his desk. She nodded and took the seat on the far right. Minutes turned into what felt like hours before the detective and his partner finally walked in. They walked right past the mysterious woman, only stopping when she called specifically for the detective.

“Excuse me, but are you detective Kirkland?”

“Who’s asking?”

“My name is (y/n). I urgently need to speak to you.”

The detective and his partner shared a curious glance with each other then looked back at this still mysterious woman. Arthur sighed before turning away from her, still stuck in his position.

“Come with me.”

She adjusted the strap of her duffle bag on her shoulder and followed the detective closely to an interrogation room. She and Arthur entered a separate room while his partner remained on the outside. They both took a seat across from each other at the metal table and sat in momentary silence. Arthur cleared his throat before speaking into the awkward atmosphere.

“So, why are you here (y/n).”

She twirled her thumbs around under the table and constantly shifted her eyes away from the detective’s gaze. She spoke softly to him.

“I was the one who murdered that man last night…”

As shocked as he was, Arthur could only smirk at this woman. ‘ _It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours and here she is presenting herself to me. What is this?_ ’ He leaned slightly forward into the table and searched her innocent-looking face. Of course she’s no assassin. She looks too good for that.

“Would you mind running through the events of last night for me?”

“Of course.”

She took in a shaky breath, still refusing to look at the man in front of her as she ran through the imaginary events of last night.

“I just moved here from the States so I was pretty lonely. I decided to stop by a pub for a drink or two while I tried to calm myself down from all the things that were happening in my life. Then, out of nowhere, this man comes and sits next to me. At first I was a little suspicious of him but as we started talking, I thought he was really nice. I don’t know if he thought I was trying to hook up with him, but that wasn’t the point!”

Tears formed at her waterline and for the first time she looked up, it was to not have her tears fall just yet. She sighed, poorly trying to recollect herself. She continued with her story.

“I noticed that he was drinking a lot and I’m not much of an advocate for drinking and driving, so I offered to take him home just to make sure he was ok. He opened the door to his house and I was just about to leave but he grabbed my hand and pulled me inside, slamming the door behind me and then pushing me against it.”

The tears that she _fought_ against suddenly started to fall at will. She slumped her head again and started to silently sob, shaking her head. Arthur leaned back in his seat and stared through the tinted window in the room, only assuming that Michelle would be on the other side encouraging him to continue.

“I didn’t know what to do. I kept saying no but he kept trying. I scratched his face multiple times to get him off of me but he just kept grabbing for me. He took advantage of me and I was scared. I thought I did what I needed to do, but I was wrong.”

“Just answer me one question, (y/n)”

(y/n) sniffled and looked up at the detective with shaking, reddened eyes. She nodded wordlessly.

“Did you know that he was a part of British Intelligence?”

She shook her head negatively, wiping the tear trails off her cheeks in the process.

“I had no clue. He never mentioned that.”

“That’s unfortunate, love. Do you think you still would’ve killed him if you knew?”

“I...I…”

She drew in another shaky breath trying to calm herself down but ultimately failing. She looked down at her twirling thumbs unsurely.

“I don’t know. But no one should do such a thing to anyone, regardless of their position. I should say that I wouldn’t kill him if I knew, but I do know that I would be just as scared if I were put back in the same position. If not more.”

“Give me one moment, please. I’ll be right back.”

Arthur stood up from the metal table and exited the room, leaving her alone with her head hung low.

“Arthur, what the _fuck_ was that?”

Michelle whispered slightly aggressively.

“I know, I know. But something feels off.”

“Well, not for me! That’s a solid story if I’ve ever heard one. And every injury she mentioned lined up with the injuries on the body.”

“Well she’s not entirely innocent, now is she? How do you want me to go about this?”

“Community service?”

“Can we even do that?”

“I have no clue, but the case is already complicated enough. We can’t bring this to court without bringing in foreign officials, and lord knows that I don’t want to be around any other Americans.”

“Then _what_ do _we_ do?”

The tone of aggravation started to peak in his voice. Michelle pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed defeatedly.

“I need to talk to Allistor and see what he thinks. The boss is not going to be happy about this one.”

Both people parted ways and Arthur entered the interrogation room once again. He returned to the seat across from the calmed woman and studied her. Who was this woman? Did he really want to know this woman?

“...Do you have a place to stay?”

She shook her head wordlessly and looked at him with sad eyes. Something in him struck and it felt weird to him. He didn’t even mean for his words to come out the way they did, but he still said them.

“Would you like to stay with me?”

She shot him a quizzical and concerned look and he quickly, yet poorly, tried to save himself.

“Only if you feel safe with me.”

“How do I know I’ll feel safe with you?”

“Well, I _am_ a detective. And I have no reason to make any advances towards you.”

She tilted her head slightly and giggled softly. His cheeks flared a bright red and he started to stutter.

“N-not that you aren’t a-attractive or anything…”

“Okay.”

“...what?”

“I do need a place to stay and since you know that I truly meant no harm, I feel like I would be safe with you.”


	6. Chapter V

“You and detective Kirkland both need to go Intelligence today. I refuse to believe that this was just some stupid accident.”

Allistor was never the type to sugarcoat his words and right now was no different. He was sharp with his aggravated message and Michelle stood in front of his desk silently, not daring to interrupt his small rant.

“Weren’t you the one who questioned all the neighbors in his neighborhood?”

“Yes sir…”

“Then please explain to me, Michelle, why I find it so hard to believe that this woman who just randomly shows up and admits to a murder just happens to be some random woman. Weren’t you the one who said that he’s been going through women every other night for the past month?”

“Yes sir…”

“They why the fuck does it happen that he suddenly gets murdered?”

“I don’t know sir-”

“And that’s your fucking problem. You don’t know.”

He sighed, groaning as he leaned back in his chair. Nothing was making sense to the police chief and he couldn’t even be bothered to try and make sense of it anymore. He looked at the woman in front of him with tired eyes and she stared silently back at him. He sighed once more.

“Look, just...one of you needs to keep an eye on her at all times. I have this sneaking suspicion that this woman is not who she says she is but I don’t quite have that proof yet. I have the misfortune of speaking to an old friend of mine before getting off. Report back to Arthur before you leave.”

“Yes sir.”

Michelle quickly left the office without another word and returned back to the investigation room where Arthur was still waiting with (y/n). Michelle knocked on the door three times before opening it, not bothering to wait for an answer.

“Ma’am, if you’re done here you’re free to go. The detective and I have other things to take care of.”

“Michelle, she’s going to be staying with me. I can’t quite leave her alone in my house just yet so she’s going to have to follow us around today.”

“Always ahead of the game Arthur. I’m proud of you.”

Michelle spoke with a strong tone of sarcasm. Arthur and (y/n) both stood up and she followed behind him to the woman at the door. Michelle spoke to him in a much lower tone than before.

“Allistor says that we need to go to Intelligence ASAP. Unfortunately, now she’s gonna need to come with us.”

“I’ll make sure she’s on her best behavior when she gets there.”

“You better. I’ve had enough for one day and the day barely started.”

The party of three headed out of the police station and traveled in the detective’s car to the heart of the city where B.I. headquarters was located. Though not many normal people knew because it posed as a high profile networking company, many high standing officials and officers knew and that’s all that mattered. (y/n) took quick note of the journey and made mental markers on every curve and corner they took to get there. They pulled up to a heavily guarded gate and the detective rolled down his window. One of the guards requested his ID and he showed it to them. They promptly allowed the car to enter after. Before entering the building, the detective turned to the awfully quiet woman in his back seat and spoke to her.

“I’m only going to say this once, so please take this to heart. Once we are in there I cannot help you. They may ask you questions about last night to which you can either answer them or refuse to answer. Everything is completely up to you. However, you must choose wisely. These people are proven to be much smarter than the average person and will make you say or do things that may be out of your control.”

Oh how little he knows. He turned to his partner and they nodded to each other before everyone got out of the car. The trio walked into the large building and headed for the 12th floor out of 15 stories. Each floor with its own mode of operations. The elevator bell dinged as the doors slid open and were immediately met with a stern face.

“Allistor told me that you two would be coming, but who’s the third wheeler?”

“She’s our suspect. The reason we’re here, John.”

Michelle responded to him. 

“Great. Just great. Welp, let’s get going.”

The man, now introduced as John, led the trio to a meeting room in the far back of the level. In the room sat three other people. Two women and another man. One of the women looked eerily familiar to the detective and his partner. The woman was also hit with a pang of surprise. The fact that they had met each other just five hours earlier was a bit offsetting for the party.

“Right then, let’s get situated and finish this as early as possible.”


	7. Chapter VI

“So, Mrs. Doe, you are aware of why you are here, correct?”

John started as he directed his sight to the less frazzled-looking woman. She nodded in affirmation but she constantly shifted her sight to every head in the room. The one head that made her feel less out of place was the only other woman not dressed in somewhat formal clothing. She kept her head down and made her existence feel small in the room.

“Now Arthur, please tell me about the suspect that you’ve brought in today.”

“Of course.”

The detective stood up from his seat and began his small mock presentation.

“(y/n) (l/n) is the prime suspect in last night’s murder. In fact, she was the one who murdered Mr. Doe all in the name of self-defense. Mr. Doe, in his drunken state, took his liberties on the lonely girl and she tried to fight him off as best as she could to no avail. To her, the only option was murder.”

“And she told you this?”

“Yes sir.”

“Was she aware that he was an agent under our ranks?”

“She was just made aware by me when she came to the station this morning.”

John pursed his lips in a distasteful style and stared down the man standing in front of him for just a moment before nodding and signaling for him to take his seat once again. John now turned his attention to (y/n) who still refused to look at anyone in the room. Still, he decided that it would be best to direct his next few questions to her.

“Miss (l/n), if you could please stand for us.”

She stood up from her seat and placed her hands in the pockets of her varsity jacket. She finally lifted her head to look at the man who was now talking to her. Her eyes were large and innocent-looking.

“How are you doing today? Are you good?”

“I don’t know…”

“What did you know about the man you murdered last night?”

“I didn’t know anything before, but now I’m being told so much.”

“Where did you say you were from again?”

“I’m from-”

The words Arthur told her before they stepped inside suddenly rushed through her head and she was quick to catch onto his tricks. ‘ _Smarter than the average person, huh?_ ’ (y/n) took a small breath before speaking again.

“I don’t remember my place of origin ever being mentioned. Is there another question you would like to ask me?”

“I see that you’re a very smart girl, miss. How about I ask you a question I doubt you know that answer too. Do you know what our agent was doing before you murdered him?”

Arthur stood up from his seat immediately, slamming the table with his fist, but Michelle quickly grabbed his wrist. She shook her head when he looked at her and he took his seat once again but kept his eyes on the standing woman whose aura slightly started to chill. 

“All I knew about the man was that he manipulated my kindness towards him and tried to take advantage of me. He never told me about his work or what he was doing.”

“Then let me take the liberty of introducing you all to today’s point of the meeting.”

(y/n) took her seat and with the push of a button, the room darkened and a projection showed on the wall. A picture of a Russian man. Familiar to some and unknown to others. (y/n)’s heart dropped as she looked at the image but she had to maintain her innocent stance so that she would not become any more suspicious than she already was.

“The man you are looking at now is Ivan Braginsky. This was the man we had our agent tracking before he met his untimely demise due to unforeseen circumstances. He hoarded most of the information he had until he felt we had everything we needed to prepare, but…”

Another click of a button and the image changed from the Russian man to a small safe in the corner of a closet. If the picture were taken from a standing position, it would’ve been a bit harder to see.

“We searched his house after the police cleared the scene and came across his safe. We felt right to assume that he would’ve kept the files in there. We had every right to break into the safe, however, we found that it was empty. All of the information he had gathered had mysteriously gone missing and we aren’t sure when the files went missing. But we are sure that it was his hand alone as there were no signs of forced entry and no other fingerprints were discovered.”

John pressed the button again and the image switched to a French man with long blond hair and striking blue, almost violet, eyes.

“This is Francis Bonnefoy. Due to his very sudden rise in popularity amongst French officials, we had some agents of ours tag him and find out some information on him. Apparently, he made a deal with the leader of the Russian syndicate in order to quickly obtain his high status. With this bit of information, we have every right to infiltrate his location and squeeze out more information from him, but that would compromise our position immensely.”

In the poor lighting, once could make out the motion of a moving shadow. It was Mrs. Doe raising her hand and catching the attention of the standing man. He gave her all of his attention, as did the rest of the table, and she spoke meekly.

“I’m sorry, but what does any of this have to do with me or her?”

She asked and pointed to the quiet woman at the other end of the table.

“I can’t be no spy! I don’t even have the skills to shoot a gun…”

“If I may, ma’am, I brought you here to reveal the truth about what your ex-husband was really doing and how dedicated he was to his country. On the other hand, this girl over here murdered him with no knowledge of what he was doing. I don’t expect you to become an agent for us just as much as I trust this one over here.”

He said, gesturing towards the silent woman who was now staring unamused at his rudeness.

“But it is completely up to you if you want to help us get the truth that we are trying so desperately to achieve.”

One last press of a button and the projection shut off and light illuminated the room once again. Everyone’s eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness before focusing once again at the standing man.

“Arthur, if you could stay behind for a moment, please. Everyone else is free to go.”


	8. Chapter VII

“What is it, John.”

“It would really help if you were on the case.”

“Isn’t this your business? Why are you trying to drag me into this?”

“Because you are the only person who’s come so close to finding Braginsky. If you can be on the job with us, it’ll almost be like a good luck charm.”

“A good luck charm? What am I, some sort of toy to you?”

“No, not like that. I just feel like we would have more of a chance at finding him if you were on the team.”

“Is this an official proposal, John?”

“You have a week to give me your answer.”

Arthur walked out of the room without another word and met up with the two women that waited for him in front of the elevator. The trip back to the station was a quiet one with all three members stuck in their thoughts. The day went on as usual with paperwork being filled out by the detective and his partner and further research on the Russian syndicate’s leader. 

(y/n) sat in her original seat in the station and stared blankly at her phone, rushing through her thoughts. She could just text him and delete the messages afterward, but who’s to say that her phone wouldn’t be checked at any time without her knowledge? She could get a burner phone and contact him through that. But what if he doesn’t answer her? The ideas and questions traveled through her mind back and forth like a game of tennis. She sat still but trembled in secret. Fear that she would be found out. Or was it the fear of not completing her mission. She continued to sit in silence for the rest of the day until it was time for everyone to get off. Many different faces passed by the outsider and ignored her presence. Some walked out by themselves and others grouped together, laughing and chatting about plans they had made for the night. Lastly, the detective and his partner walked up to the lonely woman and Arthur called out her name, quickly catching her attention. She looked at him with shocked, widened eyes but he smiled warmly at her.

“Are you ready to go, love?”

She nodded her head, getting up from her seat and walking alongside the detective. Michelle was on the other side of him and they were nearing the end of their conversation.

“And so, I’ve decided to go to a private island that took time to arrange. I’m so excited!”

“I’m happy for you Michelle. Take loads of pictures while you’re away, alright?”

“No promises, but I’ll try.”

They waved goodbye to each other before parting ways and (y/n) followed Arthur to his car. They both got in and had a silent journey to the detective’s place. Once they arrived at his home, she grabbed her small duffle bag from the back seat and exited the car, adjusting its strap on her shoulder. They walked inside the small apartment and she was mildly surprised at how well-kept the place was. He walked in after her and closed the door behind them, hanging his coat on the rack next to the door. She cautiously entered the living room of his flat and stood in the center of the room, taking in the little details that may or may not have provided her with more information about the man. 

“I know it’s not much, but at least it’s big enough for two. If you want, you can sleep in my room and I’ll sleep out here.”

Idiot. She nodded quietly to him and after a moment spoke softly to him.

“Where is your bathroom? I want to clean myself up.”

“Oh, it’s right around the corner next to the room.”

He explained, gesturing to the small, dark hallway. It took some time but (y/n) was dressed again in the nightgown that she wore the night before. Her (h/c) hair was loose and she held the strap of her duffle tightly in her hands as she tip-toed out of the bathroom into the living room where the faint sound of the tv became a bit clearer. Dressed in more house appropriate clothing sat the detective on the couch across from the television with his eyes fixed on a stack of papers. (y/n) cleared her throat slightly before speaking and catching the man’s attention. 

“I just wanted to thank you for today. For believing me and giving me a place to stay.”

“It wasn’t just because I’m nice, you know. You’re a very difficult case miss, and to say the very least, the only thing that would make all of our lives easier was if you were to either stay with the police chief, which he would not have been very ecstatic about, stay with Michelle, who at this point and time is on vacation, or stay with me.”

He sighed and looked up from his papers and turned to the woman standing away from him. His face looked tired but he always had a job to do at all hours of the day.

“From now on, I will be keeping a close eye on you which means that you will be following me around almost anywhere I have to go. Do you understand?”

She nodded slowly.

“Good. Now go get some sleep. You know where the room is.”

He quickly returned to the stack of papers and she stood there for a moment before meekly speaking.

“Good night, detective.”

She entered the room on the other side of the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She grabbed her phone out of her bag before throwing it down on the floor and sitting on the edge of the bed. She made a sharp exhale through her nose as she closed her eyes and smiled. Who would’ve known that the British were so anti-American that they would much rather hold the girl hostage rather than fact check her status and send her to jail? Or was it because she “meant no harm”? Apparently murder can be easily forgiven when you cry self-defense. The phone in her hand vibrated and she raised her hand to look at it. She had received a text from an unknown number. There was only just a thumbs-up emoji. He was watching her closely. He was always watching.


	9. Chapter VIII

The next morning rolled around and both people in the house were awake. Did Arthur even sleep through the night? The sweet yet bitter smell of coffee wafted through the small home and (y/n) sat up in the bed, sweeping her hair back with both hands and motioning into a stretch. She threw off the sheet that covered her and headed for the bag on the floor, picking it up and placing it on the bed where she once was. She pulled out her last clean outfit of the day and slipped it on easily. A tan long-sleeved turtleneck with ruffles along the cuffs and collar tucked into a deep burgundy and black plaid miniskirt with a black belt looped around her waist. She avoided her shoes for now and opened the door to the room, slowly stepping out into the open living room and the smell of coffee became stronger, but it didn’t phase the spy one bit. Arthur leaned over the counter in his kitchen taking silent sips of the dark liquid with his back turned towards the dark hallway. The thick stack of papers still in his sight leaned in opposition from where they started, signaling that he was almost done reading them. 

“Good morning, Detective.”

“Mornin’”

He replied stoically to the woman’s soft voice. She stood quietly near the counter he was leaning over before speaking to him again.

“Do I just help myself?”

“Yeah. Just make sure you don’t break anything.” 

She nodded at the man who still refused to pay her any attention and slinked away from him to rummage through his cabinets, looking for a mug. When she found the assorted mug set in the fourth cabinet, she grabbed the closest one to her, a salmon pink mug, and closed the cabinet’s door. She poured the warm, caffeinated liquid into the cup and sat on the couch with her legs crossed, and the warmed mug clasped in both her hands. They were silent together. Minutes turned into one hour. Then two. It took three hours and four cups of coffee for the detective to finish reading through the thick stack of papers while the half-empty cup rested in her hands turning into a bitter chill. She, to say the least, was bored.

“Um, (y/n)?”

She turned to the detective and observed his dead tired face. The pale look of his face compared to the striking dark circles under his eyes was offsetting but nothing short of normal for him.

“Yes?”

“If you don’t mind, I’m just going to sleep for a few hours, and then we’re going to head to the station.”

“It’s no problem. Would you like to sleep in the room? I’m well-rested enough so I can stay out here for a little while longer.”

“I will, thank you. All I ask of you is for your complete silence.”

She nodded her head and he smiled weakly in acceptance and trudged over to the room in the dark hallway, the door closing and clicking to lock. She waited about an hour, being absolutely sure that the man was in a deep sleep in the room before quietly stalking over to the counter where he left the thick stack of papers. She looked at the cover page to find that it had a small image of the French man they had seen yesterday in the top left corner of the page followed by his basic information. Male, obviously, age 26, blond hair, 175cm, and he was officially marked as having blue eyes. Beneath the basic information were pages upon pages of his daily life that were documented thanks to the agents stalking him. The slight abnormalities of his daily routine never involved him and Ivan meeting face to face but it was constantly noted that he was followed by two mysterious women. It was always the same description for the women on every page. Both with platinum blond hair, one long and one short, one with violet eyes and the other with bright blue eyes, and both with pale skin. They were relatively shorter than the man in question but were always on either side of him everywhere they went. Like bodyguards. Their descriptions sounded vaguely familiar to (y/n), but she wasn’t quite sure if it were the women she was thinking about. She didn’t want to spend too much time on the stack of papers so she returned them to their original position and sat on the couch once again in complete silence, just waiting for the English man to wake up again.


	10. Chapter IX

It was midday when the British man woke up again and the woman who was laying silently on the couch heard his staggered shuffling from the locked room. She didn’t bother to move from her lazy position when she heard the door open and he walked out of the room, quickly dipping into the other room in the dark hallway. She sat up lazily to a sitting position on the couch and stretched, the sharp sound of her spine cracking echoed around the room. She didn’t care so much. After some time he walked out into the living room with more work-appropriate clothing and his face looked a bit more refreshing than it did earlier in the morning.

“Are you ready to go?”

“Where?”

“We have to stop by somewhere quickly before we head to the station.”

“Are you sure you want me to come with you?”

“I don’t know you well enough to just keep you in my home by yourself. I’d prefer it if you were to follow me around so I can keep a close eye on you.”

“Okay. Just let me put on my shoes.”

The pair left the house for B.I. headquarters again and the car ride was filled with a strong silence. Once there, they were met with a different squad of security still having to follow procedure and asking for Arthur’s id. They parked in the same spot they did yesterday and he turned to the woman in the passenger seat.

“I’m going to have to leave you in the car for a moment.”

“So you can leave me in your car for a moment but not alone in your home?”

“There’s nothing of much importance in here, so I have no problem with leaving you here alone. Don’t worry, I won’t take long. It’ll be a waste to have you walk just for nothing.”

She only stared at him for a moment with no hint of emotion to be shown. She nodded and sighed before sinking back into her seat and Arthur left the car without another word. She watched as his figure disappeared into the building before searching the car carefully. Through the glove compartment, the center console, the flaps of both mirrors, in between the doors, and behind both the driver and passenger seats. He was right. More than right, in fact. He left nothing in the car except a travel size pack of tissues. For what he used them for, one could only imagine. She slumped back into her seat and could do nothing more than wait, once again, for the detective to return.

“Excuse me, do you know if John is available right now?”

Arthur asked lowly to the woman at the front desk. She nodded before typing away at her computer. A few moments later she returned her gaze to the man in front of her.

“He should be getting out of a meeting right about now but his schedule is a bit tight. How long are you going to be with him for?”

“Not long. I just want to talk to him about some-”

“Arthur! What a pleasant surprise.”

The familiar tone caused him to slightly jump in his place. He thanked the woman silently before turning to face the man behind him.

“John, we need to talk.”

“Of course, follow me.”

They entered John’s office on the other end of the floor and he closed the door behind them, allowing them more privacy.

“I read the files, John.”

“Oh good, I knew they would find a way into your arms.”

“The thing that always caught my attention was the two women he was always with. Do you know their names?”

“That’s currently classified information to you.”

“That’s classified, but the ass load of information you left at my house wasn’t.”

“That was assurance, Arthur.”

The detective sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe that it was going to be this easy to hook him into a case he had no prior knowledge about just two days ago. He looked to the man across from him and nodded.

“I want to be on the case, John.”

He smiled as he extended his hand for the other man to shake. Arthur was a bit unsure but accepted the gesture no less.

“Oh, and bring that girl with you. I feel like we might have some use for her as well.”

“What if she gets into any trouble?”

“You can handle that part, Arthur. Now get out of here. I’ve got another meeting soon.”


	11. Chapter X

Arthur entered the car and sighed before putting on his seat belt. He looked over to his right where (y/n) sat silently, staring ahead. He nodded slightly and turned on the car’s engine. He spoke to her in a kinder manner.

“Are you hungry?”

“...I am…”

“We can grab something to eat on our way to the station if that’s okay with you.”

“Thank you...Arthur.”

It was the first time she had called the detective by his first name and without a hint of malice to be detected. Something in his heart panged and a light pink dust tinted his cheeks. It wasn’t because he liked her, but because there weren’t many people who called him by his first name. 

They did many things together today. Those things included eating, being taught how to file, take notes, and the proper way to hold a knife. It was strange to teach someone you just met, based on a murder case no less, how to properly hold a knife, but Arthur had no problem explaining to her his reason.

“I’ve decided to join Intelligence in their hunt for the Russian syndicate. The one thing they requested of me was to bring you along as well.”

“Well, that was…”

Idiodic? Moronic? Stupid?

“Unexpected.”

“I’ve shared the same feelings, but if they feel like you would be a useful asset then the least I could do is teach you how to properly defend yourself.”

She smiled softly at him as she nodded in understanding. Their cycle for the week was quite repetitive. They wake up, they eat, they work, they eat, they practice, and they go home. (y/n)’s progress improved throughout the week and by the end of it, she was able to properly hold a knife in both of her hands. Arthur applauded their hard work and she smiled shyly to the man. She held the knife blade first, handing the butt of it to him and he grabbed it without a second thought, pulling the weapon from her hand.

“You’ve done such a good job this week. I would’ve expected you to complain for the most part.”

“My fate has already been sealed thanks to you, Arthur. If anything, I can just accept it and work as hard as I can.”

“Because of your hard work, my job has become fairly easy. I should thank you.”

“What do you have in mind?”

Throughout the week she hasn’t really had any time to get new clothes and has just been mixing her clothes with bits and pieces from his wardrobe. Although, she never told him and he hasn’t quite seemed to figure it out yet.

“Actually, can we go shopping? I’m in desperate need of new clothes.”

“Are you sure you don’t want anything smaller? Like take-out for dinner?”

“Are you trying to thank me or use me as an excuse for food you can get on your own time?”

“Alright, fine. We’re done here for today so let’s go.”

The pair left the station and headed to the city’s shopping district. Many stores lined each side of the street and many pedestrians walked closely together under the yellowed street lamps that were just starting to buzz to life as the sky darkened in the growing night. As they walked along the street she caught his attention and pointed to ‘The Mercantile’. A chic clothing boutique filled with women’s clothes, shoes, jewelry, and bags. Upon entering the store, (y/n) was immediately swept away by the endless options presented in front of her. After leaving Arthur’s line of sight, his phone rang and to his surprise, it was John.

“This is new.”

“You’re a part of the crew now, so I have every right to call you.”

“Yeah, alright. What is it then?”

“Can you and your companion come by the office on Monday? We’ve found some very valuable information that could potentially get us closer to Ivan.”

“Sure. What time?”

“Bright and early in the morning. Hope you don’t mind.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance and responded with nothing short of sarcasm.

“Sure thing, John. It won’t be a problem at all.”

“Great! See you then.”

The call ended and Arthur slid his phone in his pocket. He knew that John’s team had been working for a while but things seemed to pick up faster ever since he joined. Or was it just pure luck that he decided to join when he did?


	12. Chapter XI

The next week started fairly normal for the abnormal pair. They got dressed and left the shared flat for B.I. headquarters once again. Arthur didn’t tell her why they were going there this time but she was somewhat relieved when she was told that she had also been invited to the meeting. They parked in their unusually usual spot and entered the 15 story building. They were met with a smirking face as the elevator doors split open on the 12th floor. It was John gladly awaiting his “guests of honor” as he liked to call it. 

“Thank you both for coming today. If you would follow me.”

He turned towards the lengthy hallway and hung a left, the pair following behind him. They entered a conference room that looked very similar to the one she entered the first time. In the room sat two other men silently conversing, breaking momentarily to glance at the new members that just entered the room. John was more than eager to introduce everyone in the room.

“Arthur and friend, meet Freddie and Ethan.”

Both men waving at the signal of their names and (y/n) took her time to study the features of each man. Freddie was a pale, lanky-looking man with red hair and freckles adorned randomly on his face. His dulled green eyes trained tiredly on the newcomers. Ethan, on the other hand, was a taller, dark-skinned man who was more muscular in comparison to his partner but not too buff. He was bald with smooth facial features save for the goatee growing around his mouth. His dark brown eyes staring in the same direction as his partner. Arthur and (y/n) took their seats across from each other at the long table and John at the head of it. It was Ethan’s turn to stand up and in his hand was a small remote similar to the one John held on their first meeting. With the press of a button, the room darkened and a projection shone on the wall closest to the standing man. It was an image of Francis with two women on either side of him. They were both slightly shorter than him but the one on the right was definitely taller than the one on the left. Both with platinum blond hair. Their faces brought up a string of memories for the spy in the room and her suspicions were confirmed.

“Freddie and I have been keeping a very close eye on Francis Bonnefoy for the past month as you would know from the extensive files we had sent to you last week. The women under his arms were soon to be revealed as ‘gifts’ from the Russian syndicate. They serve as both, his toys and his protection.”

He pressed the button again and it transitioned to a clear picture of the taller woman with short hair. Her bright blue eyes were wide and her features were soft. It almost looked like she didn’t deserve to be shown on that wall.

“Katyusha Braginskaya was born in Ukraine and moved to Russia at a young age where she currently resides. Any specifics of her have been wiped clean, essentially making her a ghost.”

Another press and the image change to the shorter woman with long hair. Her violet eyes were similar to Ivan’s and emitted the same cold aura.

“Natalya Arlovskaya lived similarly with Katyusha. Born in Belarus, moving to Russia at a young age and residing there currently. She is also a ghost. We assume that these two women play a large role between the Russian syndicate and its budding relationship with French superiors. We’ve caught wind of a large event happening within the next week which is where you two will come into play.”

You two clearly referring to Arthur and his lady friend. The button on the remote was pressed once again revealing the image of a fanciful home far behind gravel pavement and shaped shrubs. It was definitive that you needed money to live in such a place. A strong yet arrogant move to make yourself so public so soon. Ethan began to speak directly to the pairing.

“He’s planned a gala for the end of next week at his new chateau. The rich, the famous, and the powerful will be there and Freddie and I will make sure that you guys are on the list.”

“Wait a moment, you want us to infiltrate the party?”

“A simple way to put it, but yes, Arthur.”

(y/n) remained silent.

“Our plan is just to have you get more information out of Francis about the syndicate’s future plans. Our luck might even strike twice if you manage to spot Ivan. We just want you to do inside work to gather information. In and out. Simple.”

“I suppose there’s no way out for us now.”

“We’ll have the both of you flown out to the country over by next Friday. Pack light, we’ll provide you with the clothes you need for the gala. We’ll go through the full details of the plan then.”

With a final press of the button, the projector shut off and the lights were turned on again. (y/n)’s (e/c) eyes searched the unsure expression of the man in front of her and she sorted through her thoughts at the same time. This mission proved to be much more difficult than she expected. She even wondered if she would get caught. But who first? Her syndicate sisters? Or the Englishman who thought he knew better?


	13. Chapter XII

Over the next nine days, Arthur’s time with (y/n) was spent training on close combat with and without a weapon. She has improved greatly by his standards and he was nothing short of proud. Their time together started to build a foundation of trust that Arthur was willing to fall into. It was all going according to plan. There was still another month until her mission was to be completed. Maybe in even less time as their focus switched from Ivan to Francis. They will be expecting him at the party and he will be using their distraction to his advantage. It’s hard to tell how, but he had to have seen this coming one way or another.

The Friday morning came when they were set to leave and both members of the shared flat packed. The clothes were folded tightly and fitted into their bags. Enough for three days just in case. They didn’t bother with any fancy clothes as they were assured that their outfits for the gala would be handled. Arthur’s phone dinged lightly and he was quick to look at it. It was a message. Two photos. Plane tickets. Underneath was just one line: “We’ll meet you guys there.” He sent one of the images to (y/n) and they were on their way to Heathrow airport.

Entering the airport was the easiest part of the whole process. Having to find the correct airline, print physical tickets, and wait in long screening lines with strict airport security was probably the hardest. At least through the long lines, both had the time to pull out their passports. His was a navy blue booklet with gold etched onto the cover of it. He was moving around too much for her to clearly see the intricate design. Her’s was black booklet made to look exactly like an American passport. A perfect forgery. Both of their passports passed security and their bags and bodies passed the screening. They were free to catch their afternoon flight.

Once their plane touched ground on the next country over, everything almost went smoothly. They needed to go through customs to get their passports checked once more before fully entering the country which they had no problem doing. Once French security deemed their passports legit and gave them their approval, they were finally free to step foot on French soil. In front of the airport was a sleek black car and a familiar face. John leaned on the car with his arms crossed, his eyes searching for something. Or someone. Once his hazel eyes locked onto the emerald green ones that he had become so used to seeing, he smiled. His tense demeanor relaxing. He waved as he shouted out, capturing the duo’s attention.

“Arthur! Over here!”

He was a bit embarrassed but was grateful to have another familiar face with him. It wasn’t in his mind at the time, but he grabbed onto (y/n)’s hand and led her to the waving man in front of the black car, sighing. 

“John. Truly a pleasant surprise to see you here.”

“Diddo. Hop in you two, we’ve got the hotel rooms ready and we have other things to go over before tomorrow.”

Arthur opened the back door on the right side of the car and allowed the woman to enter before him. She crawled all the way to the left side to give him the seat on the right and in front of her would be where John would sit. They left on their silent journey to the hotel and (y/n) stared out of the window. She admired the beauty that littered the Paris streets and sighed softly to herself. If only she were like Katyusha or Natalya. She wondered if they lived in bliss with the Frenchman. She was tugged out of her thoughts as the car rolled to a stop on the side of the street near a large and beautifully aged building. She could only assume this was the place she and Arthur were going to be staying at. It was safer to get out of the car on the left side due to how they were parked. (y/n) kept her door open as she allowed the man next to her slide out. The trio entered the building and the interior was much more modern than the exterior would lead others to believe. They walked into one of the three elevators in the lobby and the button numbered 3 lit up after John pressed it. As the elevator was pulled upwards, John turned to the duo behind him and handed each of them a key card wrapped in a thin paper envelope. Both shared a similar quizzical expression as they accepted the cards from him. He smirked softly.

“I may have taken the liberty of readying your room while we waited for you to arrive.”

Room? They were going to share a room? Something didn’t feel right about this situation. Almost cliché-like. The elevator bell dinged and the metal doors split open revealing the lengthy hallway with identical patterns, decor, and doors. They followed behind John as he turned right immediately into the hallway and (y/n) observed the numbers on the doors they passed by. 310...312...314...31- she bumped into Arthur with a small ‘ _oof_ ’ and quietly apologized to him. He turned his head slightly, showing part of his profile, and shook his head in a reassuring manner. John entered his key card in the door and quickly pulled it out. Two small beeps were heard along with a green light shining from the door signaling that it was okay to open. He took the round knob in his hand and turned it clockwise, pushing the door inward and wide enough to allow the pair behind him to enter the room first. The door clicked closed after John entered and the same agents they met just nine days ago greeted the newcomers from the comfort of their shared bed. Freddie and Ethan sat next to each other with their laptops propped on their laps, immediately tapping away after their greeting. John was first to speak, barging through the pair in front of him.

“It’s nice to have everyone here in a less professional setting. Ethan, as you promised, the plan.”

Ethan typed his last bit, pressing extra hard on the last key before setting his laptop off to the side. He didn’t bother standing up this time. He began his explanation.

“As promised, Freddie and I have the both of you on the guestlist for tomorrow night. In the closet of your room, you will find two black dress bags. Those contain your outfits for the party along with some other things. We put your shared names down as Louis and Carmella Harris to lower all chances of anyone recognizing your persons. Our main goal is to have (y/n) extract as much information from Francis as possible while we have Arthur on the side keeping an eye out for the potential arrival of Ivan. If this is the courtesy party that we believe it is then Ivan should be one of Francis’ guests of honor. We’re working with a few French agents that will be by your side to help catch and contain our guy. If not, (y/n) should’ve gathered enough information to get us closer to the Russian syndicate.”

“How do you know this plan will play out exactly the way you want it to? I mean, anything can happen while we’re there.”

Arthur was quick to retaliate with his voice of reason but Ethan didn’t believe in it. He continued on as normal.

“We’ve been in the field for much longer than you have, detective. Everything will play out the way we need it to because this is the best possible outcome for our very realistic situation. Either you follow our plan or you fly your asses back out to London.”

The anger seethed through his sharpened green eyes but he kept his lips sealed and nodded. He did agree to be a part of this. Of all of this. There was nothing left for him to do but to bite his bottom lip and follow their orders. (y/n) saw this and slowly, carefully, tenderly held onto his fisted hand. He was pulled out of his growing rage and his eyes snapped to the softly cuffed fist that was just starting to release tension and he slowly looked up her arm to her face. To her tender (e/c) eyes that smiled as softly as her lips did. She calmed him down. Just like she wished she could. Just like she wanted to. It was her turn to speak for the both of them, her voice was warm and sure.

“We’re here to help you with your plan which means that we will be here for the rest of the weekend. For now, we will be going to our room and we will follow through with the plan that you have set for us. Goodbye for now, gentlemen.”

She kept his slightly fisted hand in her own and turned with him to leave the room to go to their own. Just a few doors down.


	14. Chapter XIII

Room 310. Their shared room. It was almost as cozy as a second home and the king-sized mattress with a similar fitting frame was the centerpiece of the room. It felt more fitting for a couple on their honeymoon, not two pretenders trying to get through another day of work. Arthur locked the door behind him and (y/n) was the first to move into the room, taking particular interest in the large window covered by a cream-colored, floral printed fabric. It reminded her so much of him that it almost hurt. She stood there staring at the balcony’s entrance as she unknowingly raised her hand to her lips, touching them with her delicate fingers. It began to hurt. It had been too long since she saw him, but she knew she had a job to do. She was gently pulled from her thoughts as a warm hand landed on her shoulder and a clouding presence appeared at her right side. She removed her fingers from her almost trembling lips and slowly shifted her gaze to the man now standing next to her. She didn’t know what to feel at that moment.

“Are you alright, love?” 

His voice was as soft as was his smile. He started to care and she could hear it in the way he spoke to her now.

“I should be asking you the same thing. Are you sure you’re fine? With all of this?”

“It’s as you said. We’ll follow through with the plan they gave us. There’s no point in backing out now.”

This was an absolute fact. They stared at each other in momentary silence until his face started to warm up, betraying his face with rose-tinted cheeks. He avoided his gaze quickly and turned away from her to observe the only bed in their room. This was only a minor problem so he felt better talking to her about it.

“Um, about the bed…”

She turned to look at him at the mention of their little situation. This was a prime opportunity to take advantage of it. She nodded and began to speak before he could finish his running thought. A small smile playing at her lips.

“It’s okay, Arthur. I think the bed is big enough for the both of us.”

“It’s not that. It’s that-”

His words were cut short once again as she took his hand into hers once more. Her smile was truly a sight for sore eyes.

“I trust you, Arthur. I know that you would never do anything to hurt me. I don’t want you to sacrifice comfort over some silly thought like me not having trust in you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

This day was too long. She wanted it to be over. She wanted all of it to be over. To be back in the arms of her one true lover. Her one true lover? It had only been three weeks. She is just a spy. An assassin told to wait for her kill. She’s done this before but why does this feel different. She wanted nothing more than for this day to end. 

The night of the gala came in the blink of an eye and it was time to spy for the enemy. Arthur pulled both black dress bags out of the closet and handed the slightly heavier bag to (y/n), assuming it was hers. He remained in the main room while she was in the bathroom to get dressed. He was surprisingly correct in the choice of bags and the dress inside was breath-taking. Along with the dress were a gorgeous pair of heels to accompany it and two bags. The first bag she pulled out had a wig neatly placed inside of it and a box of one pair of colored contacts. The other bag was a make-up bag with all the things she would need and the colors to nicely compliment the dress and her contacts. She washed her hands clean of any impurities before applying the colored contacts. Violet. She blinked quickly to set them in place and when her eyes focused, they were perfectly aligned. Next was the wig. Platinum blond. She was starting to catch on. She secured the new hair on her head and fixed any of her natural colored fly-aways. She brushed over and flipped the hair out, its soft waves bouncing into place. She was starting to look more like them. If this would catch Francis’ attention, then so be it. In the makeup bag was a foundation that flawlessly matched her skin tone, liquid eyeliner, an eyeshadow palette complete with different shades of red, and red matte lipstick. There was no possible way those two agents had to pick everything themselves. They never specified but (y/n) was absolutely sure they had help picking everything out for her. Her face was poreless, her eyeliner ran thick and cut sharp across her eyelids, bloody deep reds exaggerated her look while the lighter tinted reds played on the apples of her cheeks and across her nose, and her lips were plump with an almost powered on color that stained the same color as her eye make-up. The shoes would match the accents of the dress nicely. Black velvet stilettos closed toe and open on the sides. The diamond cuff around the ankle swirled around and inside the loops were shaded to look like pearls. On the back of the heel proved another intricate design. Two flowers, one just above the shoe and the other on the base of the heel, connected together by two strings of diamonds to form an empty heart shape. The dress was the finishing touch that brought the whole look together. It was a strapless black dress that kept the entirety of her right side exposed. Diamond encrusted silver cuffs held the dress together in small sections on that side, one on top under the arm, one under the breast, and one on the hip. The bottom half of the dress descended downward from the split on the right side all the way until her left leg was completely covered. The velvet plush feel of the dress caressed her soft skin but it was still a bit lose as the zipper on the back was still down.

She opened the door of the bathroom and stepped out of it into the main room. Arthur didn’t see her at first as his back was turned in her direction, but she admired him from afar. He was just buttoning his last button before he turned to reach for the jacket on the bed. She caught his attention from the corner of his eye and he snapped up in a straight position, his whole face coloring blush at her new look. She smiled sheepishly at his slightly altered face as well. All they could give him was a terrible fake mustache but he matched it as best as he could with his hair slicked back. He looked quite handsome even if he wasn’t complete. He mused at her beauty as he spoke to her. 

“Y-you look wonderful, my love.”

He stuttered slightly.

“And you look like a blond Johann Strauss.”

She giggled to herself. He rubbed the back of his neck meekly before she spoke to him once again.

“I need your help.”

“Of course.”

She gravitated closer to his person until they were just centimeters apart. She flashed him a warm smile before she turned around wordlessly and exposed her bare back to him. His face was still as red and furiously burning at the sight of her unnatural beauty, but he didn’t need any words to figure out what she wanted. He held the black zipper at the small of her back and slowly pulled it upwards, watching as he brought the dress together. She looked perfect in his eyes. She grabbed the white bowtie that laid above the suit’s jacket and popped the collar of his shirt, fitting the slim band around his neck and tying the bow for him, fixing the collar when she was done. She grabbed the jacket from the bed and opened it enough for him to put his arms through, fitting the jacket over his shoulders. He spoke to her calmly.

“Where did you learn to tie like this? Even I don’t have the time for bow ties anymore.”

“My father taught me when I was younger. I thought it was a nice addition to suits so he let me tie for him often.”

This was not true. It was a requirement for her to learn how to use unsuspecting materials as weapons and any article that goes around the neck was a simple tactic to use. This lie, however, was more than sufficient for the man in front of her. Soon, they were ready to go. They linked arms as they exited the room and headed for the elevator. The bell softly dinged and the metal doors split open to the lobby of the hotel. Waiting for them near the receptionist’s desk were John, Freddie, and Ethan. John the only one of the three also dressed in a suit. His smile shined when he spotted the abnormal pair walking their way from the elevator. It was now (y/n)’s turn to speak.

“We’re ready.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and Freddie handed Arthur a small earpiece. He explained something to him in his small voice.

“We’re only giving this to you. (y/n) will be in close proximity to danger and we don’t want to give her any reason to get killed. Once she leaves your sight you will report to us only when you find Ivan or if you are absolutely sure that she is in danger.”

Arthur nodded in understanding. He then turned his attention to the other suited man in the crowd with a questionable gaze. ‘Why are you the only other one dressed up?’ He wanted to ask that question, but the words that fell from his mouth were completely different.

“What are you supposed to be, John?”

“Oh me? I’m your chauffeur, _Mr. Harris_.”


	15. Chapter XIV

John slowly approached the long line of cars that constantly stopped in front of the elegant chateau. With every passing car, the distant music became clearer until they were one car away from their dropoff. John gasped softly as if he had remembered something and quickly reached for the glove compartment. Ironically enough, there were two pairs of gloves that he pulled out and handed to Arthur. A black and a white pair.

“The black pair is for (y/n), the white pair is for you.”

He passed the black gloves to the woman on the left side of him and she unfolded them, revealing their true length. She slipped on the silk gloves that were long enough to barely reach her shoulders, however, his gloves were only allowed to reach his wrists. They were ready. John pulled the car up to the front door of the exquisite home and Arthur was the first to exit, extending his hand for (y/n) to hold as she crawled out. She brushed down her dress a bit before closing the car’s door. He offered his arm to which she graciously accepted and they entered through the wide double doors. John pulled the car off to follow the other chauffeurs to a specific waiting area and when he was parked it was time for him to test his new technology and ask a favor.

“Freddie? Ethan? Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, John,” Ethan responded.

“I need you both to do something for me.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“I need one of you to look into (y/n) (l/n) for me.”

“Why? She’s already on the mission. Why would you want us to look into her now?”

“It’s for insurance, Ethan. If she proves to be useless in our mission we can get rid of her quickly. If she does prove to be useful, however, we can use her to our advantage.”

Things were quiet on their side for a moment but a soft sigh broke through the silence. Ethan’s sigh.

“Yes sir.”

The warmly illuminated hallway led directly to the ballroom with just a minor inconvenience in the way. A podium with a gorgeous woman standing in front of it. With short platinum blond hair. A black bow adorned the top of her head and her face was fresh and dewy. Not to mention how the cut of her dress made the tops of her breasts slightly pool over. They jiggled slightly as she hopped in her place, a beaming smile grew on her soft features for the approaching pair. She spoke eloquently with a thick Russian accent.

“Good evening sir, madame. May I have your names, please?”

Arthur cleared his throat before allowing his proper English accent to draw out his words, his voice matching his new charm.

“Louis and Carmella Harris.”

She scrolled through the tablet of names and came across the couple’s, nodding as she did. She looked up at them once again, her smile never faltering.

“It is so nice of you both to join us here tonight. I pray you have a wonderful night.”

The pairing matched the up curl of her lips and bowed slightly in thanks before entering the room. Beautiful bodies mained the center of the room in an enchanting dance as many more stood around watching. Groups were in the corners here and there and some snacked on hors d'oeuvre. Almost everyone had a drink in their hand. The affair was almost like a dream, but it was one they couldn’t stay in forever. The orchestra had reached their last line of notes and the large ring of dancers had ended with the women in a deep dip, their arms poised above their heads as the men held them steady by their waist. Gorgeous. The surrounding crowd, including the new pair, applauded the elegance of the movements in the dance and the artistic performance of the orchestra. The applause went on for three minutes straight. The dancers returned to their natural position and bowed deeply to each other before parting ways, thus concluding the opening of the party. The crowd slowly started to shift away as the orchestra began a new song. Soft and sweet. (y/n) was quite familiar with this social song and her eyes immediately scanned the open floor and the couples that began to take their positions on it. One pair became of particular interest to her. A tall man with long blond hair, most of it pulled back into a low ponytail, and a woman of shorter stature with long platinum blond hair. It was them. Francis and Natalya. (y/n) looked back to the man at her side and questioned him. A cheeky smile playing at her deep red lips.

“Do you know how to dance?”

“It’s been a while since I last danced, why?”

“I need you to get me close to Francis. You will lose me after some time, is that alright with you?”

His sight quickly flickered between her and the shrinking floor that many began to flock to. It was now or never and he had no other choice but to choose now. He held onto her reassuringly and they made their way to the dance floor, completing the large circle between Francis and Natalya and another pairing. As the intro of the song ended and the actual song was beginning, all of the women turned to the men in front of them with their arms acutely stiff from their bodies, and their fingers fanned straight. The men before them bowed deeply and the women curtsied in response. They rose from their formalities and were held together. A pair of hands clasped together as the women’s hands were on their partner’s shoulders. The hands of men delicately placed on their partner’s waist. The silk glove on (y/n)’s bare skin made her tingle. She kept her now violet eyes trained on the emerald eyes of her partner and the steady movements began. To and fro, to and fro, two spins from her, and they were held back together. They pushed against each other with their hands still clasped and their free hands extended in opposite directions, soon to be pulled back together. They mirrored the same move on the other side and pressed back together. The ring of dancers moved in a clockwise motion, spinning in the same direction twice before spinning counterclockwise in the same motion with more speed. 1-2-3, 1-2-3, and their motions stopped just as quickly as they started. It was time to switch partners to the right side. The pair nodded to each other before (y/n) was spun, moving herself to the right side. Natalia was now faced with a man with tousled dark brown hair and green eyes, Arthur faced a woman with long hazel brown hair, and (y/n) was right where she needed to be. Her striking violet eyes met with his soft midnight blues and they were very easy to get lost in. The soft waves of her blond hair flew over her shoulder and she smirked at the man before her now. Their hands were now laced together and his bare hand met with the soft skin of her waist. Her free hand met loosely with his shoulder and they began their dance once again. Francis now getting into the social part of it.

“What brings you to such a grand event, _mademoiselle_?”

“The need to wind down after such a long week.”

They shared a small chuckle together before he spun her around, dipping her and bringing her back quickly. The ring now moved in a counterclockwise motion and they began to converse again.

“How did you know about it? I’m sure I would have remembered speaking to a rare beauty such as yourself.”

“I may not show my face often, but I always know when a grand event is happening. The feeling of becoming the center of attention is what calls me out.”

His laugh was a bit louder than the first time as they pushed against each other, their free arms spreading in the opposite direction. 

“ _très bien, ma fille_!”

He exclaimed to her loudly in glee before pulling her back into his arms. Their dance was slowly coming to an end and her main goal now was to keep his interest in her. They spun madly with the ring moving clockwise again and she hopped as he lifted her into a spin. He placed her on the ground gently and slowly dipped her to the right, her arms poised straight over her head. The music ended and the surrounding crowd applauded both the dancers and the orchestra. She looked at him with flirtatious eyes and a smile that played on her deep red lips. A welcoming look that he was more than happy to engage with. The ring returned to their original starting position and each pairing shared their last bow before parting ways. Well, all except for Francis and (y/n). He offered his arm for her and she accepted it graciously, holding him close to her person. 

“You have truly captured my heart, _ma fleur_. May I ask for your name?”

“Only if you give me yours in return.”

He erupted in laughter at her suggestive challenge and she smiled at his naturally flirtatious yet bubbly character. She was of interest to him and she wanted him in her sight for the rest of the night. The plan was coming along perfectly. Before she had realized where they were going, they stopped at the base of the stairway in the hall outside of the ballroom. He took her gloved hand into his and brought it up to his lips, kissing her knuckles. His midnight blue eyes looked up to her vivid colors and his warm breath brushed past the glove, tickling the skin underneath. He spoke to her in a voice that felt like velvet with endless charm.

“Francis. Francis Bonnefoy.”

She looked down at his form and smirked, the platinum blond locks falling over her shoulders and invading the corners of her eyes. She liked the feeling he gave to her. It almost made her feel normal. She scoffed mentally at the thought and replied sweetly to the man before her.

“Carmella Harris.”

As if it were a cue, the orchestra strung up again and it was another familiar song for the spy. One she has many memories of. Francis stood straight and pulled the woman close to his body, one hand on the small of her back as the other hand effortlessly smoothed the pale locks behind her ear. He hummed deeply as he thought of her name again and his body sent vibrations into hers. He poured sweet words into her ear.

“ _Un nom adapté à une princesse_ , Carmella. Why don’t I show you around? I still have a bit of time left to play.”

Before she could answer, they were interrupted by none other than Katyusha. She grabbed their attention as she called out for the Frenchman, walking closer to him.

“He is here to see you.”

“Where is he, _les mon ami_?”

“He is waiting for you in the study on the second floor.”

“Thank you.”

She nodded before reposting herself at her station. Francis sighed softly and returned his attention to the woman in his arms, his eyes dropping sorrowfully.

“Unfortunately, I did not have all the time I thought I did. Perhaps we’ll give this another try when I come back?”

His hands were just slipping from her form when she caught them, squeezing, not roughly, but just enough to keep his attention on her. Her violet eyes were wide and searching his features. She began to speak softly to him now.

“I fear there may not be a next time if you leave me here. Take me with you. Show me what you can before you go.”

He let out an exasperated laugh as he moved his hands to take hers. Very forward and unwilling to back down. Like a Russian woman, no? He brought her hands to his lips and rested them on her knuckles in thought. If she didn’t want to leave him just yet, then he will listen. With her hands still in his, he was sure she was the one to spend such an enchanting night with. He released her hands and offered his arm for her once again. She excitedly linked onto his arm and they were giddy like they were before.

“ _Bien_ , let us journey to the study!”

He declared with this new woman by his side. They ascended the stairs together to the second floor and to satisfy (y/n)’s curiosity as to who is waiting for the Frenchman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _très bien, ma fille: very good, my girl_
> 
> _ma fleur: my flower_
> 
> _Un nom adapté à une princesse: A name suited for a princess_
> 
> _les mon ami: my friend_
> 
> _Bien: *in this context* well_


	16. Chapter XV

The second floor of the vast house had a more classical elegance to it compared to the more modern look of the first floor. Artifacts lost to time lined the walls neatly and complemented each other in its own little timeline. If she were a thief, this floor alone would be her biggest heist mission. They arrived at the end of the hall and faced a single dark wood door. This must be the study. Francis opened the door and (y/n) followed closely behind, closing the door behind them. There was a towering man waiting for them, or more specifically: Francis, in front of a large window that perfectly captured the violet night sky and the twinkling gold specs that were littered behind it. His back was turned towards the pair and his hands crossed each other behind him. He started to speak before turning around.

“ _Привет (privet)_ , Francis…”

He turned at that moment and noticed the woman that stood frozen in her place, her eyes were widened in fear. Or was it shock? The Russian man smiled warmly as he approached the French man and snuck a glance at her. The red-tinted lids of her eyes hooded over slowly as she curtsied respectfully towards the guest. Ivan spoke again, finishing his thoughts.

“And to your lady friend as well.”

“It’s so nice of you to come despite your busy schedule. How is everything coming along?”

The next time Ivan looked at the woman, he made it obvious enough for the Frenchman to now look at her again. His gaze, however, was questionable. The taller man chuckled and it was enough for (y/n) to avoid both pairs of eyes trained on her.

“I suppose she would like to hear this as well,” He began.

“We are reaching closer to our goal every passing day. We may even be ahead of schedule. Soon, it will be time for you to come home, _моя любовь (moya lyubov)_.”

Her violet eyes shyly looked up to his softer orbs and his smile remained warm. Francis was now the odd one out and he had questions that needed to be answered, now.

“Hold on a moment, do you two know each other? Did she know you were going to be here tonight?”

Both were appropriate questions to be asking at the moment, but they ignored his presence for the time being. Ivan’s towering frame leaned over slightly as he inspected the newer look of the woman before him. Her eyes rapidly searched his features as he came closer.

“Trying out a new look?”

“I’m supposed to be undercover, as per your orders.”

“I asked you to distract the detective and stop further investigation into our plans, not to work for the enemy.”

Her breath hitched and her eyes widened quickly, averting her eyes from his just as fast. What he said was true, but she was still technically doing what he wanted her to do. She was optimizing her position by working _with_ the enemy. She did nothing wrong.

“I needed to know what he knew and refrain from revealing any information that could hinder your plans. I am doing exactly what you asked me to. I would never do anything to upset you, Ivan.”

He tenderly cupped her cheek in his hand and she immediately sunk into it, allowing herself to be with him. Her eyes were closed and she hummed softly with content, holding loosely onto his wrist with both of her hands. She wanted to leave and be alone with him, but she knew it would be too dangerous for them. 

“And what of the detective?”

“I am his distraction. He has trust in me that I have every intention of using to my advantage.”

She replied to him without moving from her comfortable position.

“ _Хорошая девушка (Khoroshaya devushka)_.” 

He returned his attention to the Frenchman standing beside them and directing his new line of dialogue to him.

“Francis, there will be a war in two weeks' time. Have you done what I’ve asked of you?”

He nodded, the loose front of hair bouncing slightly.

“ _Oui_ , My new influence has you enough men and money to ensure you will be able to win.”

“Well done.”

He removed his hand from the spy’s warmed cheek and she was snapped back into reality. She released her weak hold on him and resumed her straight position. She didn’t want him to go, but what more could she do? She was powerless against him.

“I implore the both of you to enjoy the rest of your night. Who knows when you’ll get another chance to throw another extravagant party like this.”

He broke through the pair and his hand had just grazed the doorknob before she stopped him. He turned to look at her smaller form as she approached him slowly. Cautiously. She reached for his arm and wrapped it around her waist, her arms draping over his shoulders and her hands keeping his face straight on her. His violet eyes trained on her noticeably changed colors and he smirked. She wanted him for one more moment.

“Your natural beauty shines through your cover, _дорогой (dorogoy)_.” 

She was hesitant at first but mustered the courage to draw closer to him. Closer until their lips met. They were warm, his lips. It reminded her vividly of the kiss they shared in her hotel room just three weeks ago. The time flew by so quickly, yet their plans were coming to fruition. A lump started to form in her throat and she wanted to cry like she did that night, but not in front of them. Not in front of him. They broke the kiss and her lips trembled slightly as she backed away and watched him leave the study. She was left alone once again regardless of the Frenchman that was still next to her. He took the hint now that she not only worked for the man that made him who he is but was more to him than the girls he gave as gifts. By his own definition, she was off-limits. 

“Carmella?”

She steadied her choppy breaths as she was reminded of the false name and sighed. He knew everything but her real name. She quickly blinked back the tears that began to slightly cloud her vision and turned back to Francis.

“Unfortunately, I must go now, but I implore you to explore the rest of the party. We shall meet again in two weeks' time, Francis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Привет: Hello_
> 
> _моя любовь: My love_
> 
> _Хорошая девушка: Good girl_
> 
> _дорогой: Darling_


	17. Chapter XVI

(y/n) descended the stairs that reached the first floor and she took one last look at the party happening behind her before leaving the front doors for a breath of fresh air. What she didn’t notice were the green eyes of the man she came with. They were filled with an emotion that he couldn’t quite pinpoint himself. Worry? Regret? Or maybe he just wanted to know if everything played out just like those agents wanted it to. He followed the woman outside and witnessed her slowly shrinking form. Her head was hung low as she hugged herself, rubbing her arms for warmth against the cool air. Arthur ridded of his jacket and slung it over her shoulders, rubbing the outsides of it to give her more warmth. She looked up at him with dry eyes and a small smile. She knew so much already but she couldn’t reveal any of it. She had to continue to pretend for the betterment of the mission.

“I think I’m ready to go now.”

He simply nodded and spoke into the earpiece he was given.

“John, are you there?”

“Loud and clear. What’s up?”

“We’re ready to go.”

“Roger.”

Soon they were all on their way back to the hotel.

“You two should get some rest for the night. We’ll regroup tomorrow back in London and factor in all the information we need.”

The pair voiced their appreciation in small grunts before leaving the car and heading into the hotel. The short trip to their room was quiet but something in the atmosphere needed to be talked about. Arthur slipped the key card into the door and quickly pulled it out, the light on the door shining green before he opened it. (y/n) entered before him and he closed the door behind them, ridding of the fake mustache tickling his top lip. She slid his jacket off her shoulders and lazily draped it over the chair in the far right corner of the room. The air was awfully cloudy with a stiff silence that Arthur was first to break.

“What happened while you were away?”

She turned to look at the man whose face had now returned to normal. She sighed as she collected the string of recent events and tried to manipulate a new story from it.

“He led me out of the ballroom and flirted heavily with me but was interrupted and told that there was someone waiting for him on the next floor up. So I had him take me upstairs with him but he kept me out of the study.”

Flashes of the events that transpired inside of the study that night replayed over in her mind but she was diligent in keeping those details out of her story. She sat on the edge of the king-sized bed while keeping her head low. He removed the silk white gloves and placed them on the bed stand as he cautiously approached her. He wasn’t ready to sit next to her quite yet.

“Did you happen to hear who was in the study with him or what they were talking about?”

“I didn’t hear any names being passed around and I could barely hear the other person from the other side of the door, but I did hear Francis say something about how lucky he was to live in such a place with the money he made in the short amount of time that he did.”

“I see…”

She looked up at him with a calmed yet worried look in her violet eyes. He took the opportunity now to sit next to the woman on the bed with just enough space between them.

“It all sounded informal. Like a friend he hadn’t seen in a while. I left when I didn’t hear anything I thought would be useful information to you all. I hope I did well enough for you.”

He didn’t say anything to her but smiled warmly for her. To him, she wasn’t a spy. She was just some regular woman who managed to get caught up in this tangled mess. To him, she probably wanted nothing more than to return to her normal life whatever it may have been. But to him, she was a blessing in disguise. She was beautiful, smart, charming, and it was highly unfortunate when he began to develop feelings for her. They were gradual, of course. He was enamored by her natural beauty like any other man would’ve been. But all the time that he put into her regardless of the fact that it was his job, he liked every moment of it. Especially when they joked and laughed together. He could only do that with one other person but it wasn’t to this extent. She had him and he had only hoped that he had her in the same way.

Her eyes changed slightly reflecting ease and finding comfort in his warm smile. The corners of her reddened lips tilted upwards to reveal a soft smile of her own. Even as she lied to his face, he was still genuine to her. He was different and it somewhat pained her. Was it because he actually liked her. It had to be some sort of joke. She sighed again as she let out a bit of a chuckle, her violet eyes searching his emerald orbs. They inched closer together and the space between them almost disappeared. He took a moment to study the flawless features of her face before he spoke to her in an almost hushed tone of voice.

“You’re so beautiful. Even your natural beauty shines through your cover.”

It was those words again. It made her breath hitch slightly as she thought about them. About him. She wanted to give all of herself to the Russian man that always left her breathless, but he wasn’t there. He wasn’t anywhere near where she was. It was only her and the man with glistening eyes right in front of her. ‘Even your natural beauty shines through your cover.’ What the hell, right? Even the situation of their room was made for the mistake she was now willing to make. They leaned closer to each other until their lips barely touched. She closed the sliver of space between them and the kiss was still unsure, but not unwanted. It started out as a small peck. And then another. The third was longer and they kissed each other again, melting into the new wave of feelings that stirred between them. She grazed her tongue over his bottom lip and he was eager to open up for her. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and she explored every piece of him with pleasure, occasionally flicking over the wet muscle in his mouth. His hand slid up from the bed to her exposed thigh, squeezing it slightly as he slowly moved up to her exposed waist. His warm hand against her cooled skin made her tingle and she wanted more of it. The feeling he gave urged her onto him and she straddled his hips, her arms wrapping over his shoulders. They were so close now but she wanted to be closer. She wanted to let go of the feelings she felt brewing up the whole night. She wanted to be in a moment of blissful nothingness. They broke the kiss and panted softly, both sharing a lust-filled darkness in their eyes. (y/n) spoke softly to the man beneath her.

“Arthur, I...I want you. I want you to know that I trust you just as much as you trust me and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

He pulled her in for a much softer kiss. A reassuring kiss. That was all he had to hear to completely fall for her. Something so simple, yet so devastatingly effective. When he pulled away from the kiss he looked up at her again but his eyes were softer and crinkled slightly with a matching smile. 

“I want to show you a side of me I haven’t given to anyone in a very long time.”

He wanted to be vulnerable with her. It was the mutual trust he believed they shared that made him want to be in such a way with her. He felt that way with her but she continued to lead him on, only waiting to get rid of the bottled up emotions caused by what she did. The longing she felt to be in another's arms. Arthur offered himself to her and yet, all she could do was project Ivan onto him. She had been pretending for too long and she wanted it all to end. If Arthur was right about one thing, she desperately wanted to return to her normal life.


	18. Chapter XVII

The pair had arrived back in London later in the day. Their arrival time was cutting close to the time John had set their meeting for. They reached Arthur’s car and dropped their bags in the trunk, getting in and heading for headquarters. Once parked, they quickly headed for the 12th floor when the metal doors split open to reveal a slightly annoyed expression of a man with his arms crossed and leaning against the desk in his lobby. A man which was quite expectant on their arrival. They exited the elevator and without another word, they followed behind John to one of the many meeting rooms on the floor. Unlike the many times they had entered a meeting room, it was just the three of them for today. It was offsetting. Where were the agents that made up this entire plan? Arthur and (y/n) were cautious as they entered the dim-lit room together and sat next to each other. John closed the door behind him and sat at the head of the table. A position that they should be used to seeing him in by now but it all felt strangely different. And she now remembers why. Everything is riding on the fact that she is going to have to lie about Ivan not being at the party. She is going to have to prove her false innocence and continue to act like she doesn’t know any better. John cleared his throat before speaking to the pair in a low yet monotone voice.

“I’ll just cut straight to the chase. (y/n), I want you to go through every single detail of last night. Even if you think that it won’t be important. I want to hear it for myself first.”

She nodded silently, giving herself time to swallow the dry lump beginning to form in her throat. She looked at John with the utmost seriousness forming in her (e/c) eyes. She ran through every detail of the night whilst easily threading her lies into the chronological order of events. She sounded sincere. That was all she thought she needed but every word she spoke was a constant disappointment to the man interrogating her. She did exactly what she needed to do for her mission yet they still failed. All because of her. 

“And you didn’t see him at the party either, Arthur?”

The blond shook his head silently in negation and John nodded with a soft ‘hm’. What more could he say? The mission was a complete failure. Neither of them found Ivan at the party and the only real information (y/n) could get out of Francis was when he told a friend of his, “how lucky he was to live in such a place with the money he made in the short amount of time that he did.” Could they have left the party too early? There was no way that Ivan wouldn’t show up to at least greet the man he had spent so much money on. Everything was just wrong here! Or was there something more? What could the Russian man have been planning? Could he have used the party to his advantage?

“I’ll have Freddie look deeper into the Russian syndicate. It seems like we were wrong to look so deeply into Francis. Thank you both for coming today. Expect a call from me when we get closer to what we’re looking for.”

The pair nodded simultaneously and raised themselves from their seats. Arthur took the lead as he exited the room but she stood there a moment longer just looking at the seated man in front of her. His hazel eyes were trained on hers and filled with suspicion. Was he wrong for bringing her onto the mission with them? Surely not. Their focus should’ve been more on the women who worked closely with the Frenchman. Needless to say, he no longer has any use for her. Ethan should be close with her information and then she will be taken out of the picture completely. She trailed behind her new partner without another word and soon the grandiose building would be far behind them.

He opened the door to his flat and she walked in before him, heading straight for the room in the dark hallway. He entered after her and locked the door behind him, dropping his luggage beside the coat hanger. Their meeting was stuffed with intense air that he was more than relieved to get away from. All he did was sit there and let her take the brute force of his disappointment. That wasn’t supposed to happen. He was supposed to have her back, but he couldn’t even do that. She threw her duffle in the closet and huffed as she plopped herself on the cool bed. She had a feeling that John knew what was going on and if he didn’t know by now, he was going to find out soon enough. Just two more weeks. Just two more weeks and then her mission would be complete. With every passing day, she would only wish for it to end sooner than the last. She closed her eyes as she slowed her breathing. Green. Like emeralds. Trapped behind a sea of white. They were eyes. His eyes. The night they shared together slowly pieced itself together like a puzzle with no other reason than to torture her. Was it just because they had sex? It couldn’t be. She’s had sex with plenty of men in her lifetime, but why could she only remember him? Not his body, but his face. The warm and reassuring smile that he only gave to her had her heart skipping beats. She couldn’t have. She can’t. She wasn’t allowed to, yet the phrase laid dormant in the back of her mind. Maybe not a phrase, but more like a question.

“Am I in love with him?” She whispered softly to herself.

There were three soft knocks on the wooden door followed by a lightly accented voice.

“(y/n)? Is it alright if I come in?”

She jolted upright on the bed and placed her hands on her knees, her back hunched over slightly as she tried to collect her breaths. When she felt ready she lifted herself from the bed and strode over to the door, opening it just enough to let her head poke through. She really didn’t want him near her right now.

“What’s up?”

“I just wanted to know if you were okay. I could tell that John wasn’t quite pleased with our results.”

“I’m fine Arthur, really.”

“...Then why can’t you look at me?”

She froze momentarily in her place, contemplating if she should look at him or not. If she does look at him she fears her face revealing her true emotions, but if she doesn’t then he’ll think she’s lying and would most likely probe further. Seeing as his trust was important to her plans, she was willing to sacrifice her emotions. She slowly moved her head so it could face his. Her eyes lagged behind but they soon found his emerald orbs. Warm green eyes filled with worry. She couldn’t stop the words from forming, speaking without a second thought.

“Do you want to come inside?”


	19. Chapter XVIII

“Do you want to come inside?”

He was a bit taken aback by the question but was quick to give her a soft and warm smile. Her heart skipped a beat and she stepped back, opening the door wide enough for him to come in. Upon seeing the shadow of his figure fully pass through the door, she closed it. Though she truly refused to look at him now. Why would she invite him into the room? Well, it is his room, but what would she do now? Maybe it would be better to reveal her true feelings to him? What benefits would she get from it? Those pretty words that she said to him before might’ve held some truth to it and that is what she fears. The fear of loving another. 

“I don’t have to be in here if you don’t want me to-”

“No!”

She replied much too quickly for her own taste. She still refused to look at him as she continued to speak.

“Get on the bed.”

He cocked his head slightly at the awkward demand but obliged nonetheless. He sat on the edge of the bed with his arms stretched out behind him, supporting his weight with the palms of his hands. She was getting nervous. Why was she getting nervous? She’s done this plenty of times and each and every single time she has been able to successfully detach herself from the situation. But he was different. He was always different and she knew that even before she had met him. She finally turned to look at the man who was now lounging on the bed in front of her and nothing still made sense. She cautiously approached him with questions running through her head. Questions that would’ve been impossible to answer. As her mind ran busily, her body moved automatically. She moved closer to him as she extended a careful hand to his face. Her main focus was on his eyes. Those soft, green eyes that made her feel like she could do no wrong. Those soft, green eyes that trusted her. Those soft, green eyes that revealed his vulnerability only to her. Her (e/c) eyes searched the calmed features of his face that continued to pose no threat and she wanted to truly find protection in him.

“(y/n).” 

His voice was low yet it was loud enough to pull her out of her thoughts. At that moment he could see the focus return to her eyes and he chuckled. He placed his hand gingerly over hers that was still on his cheek. His hand was warm against hers. Of course, everything about him would be warm to her.

“Would you like to accompany me to dinner tonight?”

A date? At a time like this? It would be the best distraction they would have right now. She smiled at him and nodded.

“Sure.”

He was about to lean in to kiss her when there rang the familiar sound of his phone. It was unfortunate. He sighed as he let go of her hand, her hand falling off his cheek shortly after. He lifted himself from the bed and left the room to reach his phone. To his surprise, it wasn’t John.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Arthur! Long time no speak.” 

The feminine voice cackled at her poor joke which caused him to smile.

“Back from vacation already?”

“And I’m back to work tomorrow. How about some drinks tonight? I can show you all the photos I took and tell you about the whole thing.”

“Michelle, I would love to, but I’ve already got dinner plans for tonight.”

“Aww. I was really hoping to hang out tonight. How about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow’s fine with me.”

“Great! See you then.”

With that, he hung up the phone and took a moment to stare at the screen that had just darkened in his hands. He found comfort in the woman he was with now and began to think of her first. His feelings for her were undeniable and he believed that she had felt the same for him as well. He wanted to feel like this for the rest of the week. For the rest of his life if he could. He knocked on the door of the room and waited for her response before entering again, closing the door behind him.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Ethan had a meeting with John at the same time. With his face darkened in seriousness, Ethan presented his research to the man in front of him as he read through a copy of said information.

“(y/n) (l/n)’s information is completely wiped. She’s ghosted on American databases and there isn’t any trace of information on her in any other country’s database as well. What I did find, however, was a death certificate with her name on it. Dated back to 2002. I traced back to her records of that time and found that she died on Russian soil and supposedly buried there as well.”

“How can she be dead for so long and yet still be here today? Do you think she may be using the name as a cover?”

“That’s what I thought as well so I did a bit more research and found a picture of her when she was younger. This was taken at least months to a year before her supposed death. And yet…”

The dark-skinned man signaled towards the notes in John’s hands and on it was a grainy picture of a little girl with no smile to be found. The resemblance was uncanny. It definitely looked just like her. She was supposed to be dead, yet here she was. Alive and well. This new information began to raise one very important question in particular.

“What are the chances that she’s working with the Russian syndicate?”

“By the looks of it, I’d say highly likely, sir.”

John sighed as he leaned back in his chair. They’ve been duped. A spy right under their noses and they didn’t even know. Perhaps Mr. Doe’s death wasn’t an accident at all. How much does she really know?

“John, she isn’t like Katyusha or Natalya. There’s something more about her that could pose a serious threat to our country. What do you propose we do?”

“Just keep a close eye on her and see if she does anything suspicious. We can’t ambush her just yet. If she has all the information on Ivan that we need then I would prefer she lead us right to him.”

“Yes sir.”

Ethan turned to leave the room, leaving John alone with his thoughts and the packet of information on (y/n). Things were quickly turning as a war would soon be on its way.


	20. Chapter XIX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TW: Mentions of blood, substance abuse, implied rape, and graphic description of murder.**

_Life was not always kind to this little girl. Where she was born was of no significance to her. It was where she was raised which broke her spirits. Her family was living just above Russia’s poverty line, still teetering on the edge of it. Many things have happened to this struggling family but nothing hit harder than the increase of drug use within their house. A super drug, as many would call it, specifically targeted those who were already on the edge of losing everything they had. Her parents were a part of those numbers. It was a way of escaping the problems they were facing even if it was for a moment. But she couldn’t use them. She was too young. Just a child. A child that had been neglected for years at a time. Money became even more of a problem now that they had spent most of it on this new drug. More in larger doses so they could continue to relieve themselves of their problems. They began to sell jewelry, then furniture and even contemplated selling their own house for more of it. But they thought of something even better. The first and only time they would bring their child to see their drug dealer was to ask if she was worth anything for more drugs. The cold hands of this stranger draped in all black was forceful as he grabbed onto her face. He examined her closely and she felt many emotions rolling around inside of her. Most notably fear and anger. She couldn’t see his eyes but she could see the broken smile of his freeze cracked lips. Just like that, she was sold off for just another handful of drugs. Everything had happened so quickly that she was still trying to process what was going on. A strong grip on her wrist pulled her further into the darkest lining of the streets and she was no longer someone’s child. She was now someone’s property. Inside of her new surroundings, she could hear the screams and cries from other children in the same situation as she was. Many sold off by their parents to fulfill a need that they have created within themselves. The ulterior motive to these drugs now presented to her as clear as day. She was thrown into the pit of dirty children clustered together for warmth as the door closed and darkness enveloped them. Days, weeks, months go by and every day was a different man with a different demand. At some point, she refused to keep her head up knowing that just above her was money being exchanged for her services. They defiled her, worked her to the bone, manipulated her until she was no more than a rag doll. She felt nothing for quite some time. There was no more fear. Only wishing for the sweet release of death that she knew would never come. One day she had been requested by a very strange man. He refused to pay for her service upfront, instead opting to take her hand and drag her along behind him. He shouted back to her dealer that he would, “Pay for her if she performs her duties well enough in bed.”_

_He was much worse than the others. He would not only defile her but degrade her and threaten her life. His demands were too much to make for just a child. For the first time in months, this had instilled fear in her once again. This fear would burst the dam she had built and many emotions would come flowing out all at once. For the first time in many years, she cried. He redressed himself just as he was about to leave the room and she stared at him. She now knew what she had to do. She waited for him to leave the room before she would redress herself and follow behind this strange man. Not too close, but close enough for him to never leave her line of sight. He had entered a bright and colorful building, music blaring through the open doors. She slipped in behind him undetected and followed him to the bar where he had stopped to order a drink. She caught his attention with a sharp tug to his coat and he turned to look down on her, A sick smile playing on his lips._

_“Why are you here, маленький манчкин (malen'kiy manchkin)? I’m done with you for the night.”_

_The way he said those words rubbed her the wrong way. Her eye twitched. She built her voice up to speak but it still cracked after every other word._

_“Who...do you...think you...are?”_

_He chuckled at the weak string of words and turned to the bottle and shot glass that had just presented itself to him. He ignored her for the moment he needed to take a shot. She asked him the question once again._

_“Who...do you...think you...are?”_

_He sighed heavily after his second shot, still refusing to look at the little girl beside him, but that didn’t stop him from asserting his dominance to her. He kicked her harshly, knocking her on her back. A sick smile was plastered on his face as he finally turned to look at her, leaning over to shout at her._

_“I am a proud member of the Russian syndicate! And you are just a lowlife whore that was sold for drugs.”_

_He laughed at her and hot tears brimmed the lining of her eyes. Anger burned passionately within her. There was only the constant thought of bringing this man down to where he would have no power ever again. She leaned forward as she got up and charged straight for the man, bringing him down. Between them, a fight broke out and the patrons of the club stopped what they were doing to watch on with wide eyes. Just above them on the top floor of the club, A towering man looked on with intrigue at the fight between this grown man and a child. One of the two men behind him spoke up._

_“Do you want us to intervene sir?”_

_Ivan simply shook his head, only saying two words._

_“Not yet.”_

_He threw in a couple of punches and she got in some kicks and bites here and there. Her determination willed her to see the end of this fight and she was quick to do so. She landed the taller man on his back once again before reaching for the bottle that he had taken a drink from. As she grabbed the neck of it the man stood back up and walked with a purpose towards the girl. She smashed the bottom of the bottle on the floor where glass and the contents within spilled everywhere leaving a jagged weapon in her hand. As soon as he was close enough to her, she stabbed him in his left thigh first bringing him to her height before she would deliver the finishing blow. With the sharpest end of the jagged bottle, she shoved it forcefully into the base of the man’s throat. He was paralyzed for a moment as blood began to pool in his mouth, some of it dribbling out of the corner of it before collapsing on the ground. She only stared at his lifeless body. The shouts and screams of the people surrounding them brought her back to reality and she began to shake violently as she stumbled backward from the scene of her crime, only to fail and fall back. Everyone rushed out of the doors in fear of this little girl who had just murdered her last abuser. She did what she needed to do but seeing the end result of it began to make her sick. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks and she began to sob, completely unaware of the cause of weightlessness her body felt for a time. She was only pulled out of her sorrow when her weight crashed onto the cold floor once again. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks and looked around the slightly darkened room. The body that was before her was no longer there. Instead there stood another towering figure that was roughly twice the size of the man she had dealt with before. Her body stiffened as she caught his gaze. He neared her cautiously, stopping at a comfortable distance between them before leaning down to speak softly to her._

_“What is your name, дорогой (dorogoy)?”_

_She looked up at him with wide eyes filled with confusion. Her name? What was it? Baby? Darling? Bitch? It’s been so long since she’s heard her own name that she didn’t even know it anymore. She shook her head unsurely, speaking meekly with a weak voice._

_“I...Don’t know. I don’t know my name.”_

_Ivan chuckled softly and after revealed a kind smile with no ulterior motive behind it. It was the first time in a very long time that she had seen a smile like that. He felt different. He spoke to her again in that same soft tone._

_“Would you like it if I gave you a new name?”_

_She nodded quickly and her small lips curled upwards slightly._

_“Hmm…(y/n). I think that name suits a very brave and beautiful girl such as yourself.”_

_He extended his hand for her to take and at first she was hesitant. But what would he do to her? He spoke to her as a person, not property, he gave her a name, and he seems to have no intentions of harming her. Her small and trembling hand took the edge of his much larger hand and he helped her up, walking her to the railing of the second floor where he watched their altercation unfold. That man’s limp body now soaking in a pool of his own blood. The grip she had on his hand tightened as she clenched her jaw. She didn’t want to see what she had done anymore, but he would not let it go that easily._

_“That gentleman you murdered so smoothly was one of our agents. However, I’m glad he’s gone.”_

_She relaxed in an instant when she heard him say that and turned all of her attention to the man next to her. His face was straight as his eyes remained on the bloodied body on the floor._

_“I’m not impressed with the fact that he has made an embarrassment of my business, but I am impressed with the way you handled him.”_

_His soft smile finally returned to his face when he turned to look down at the little girl next to him. She finally took notice of his soft violet eyes and any doubt she had against him immediately melted away._

_“You have impressed me (y/n) and that is not a very easy thing to do. However, a child like you should never have to impress me. What is your story?”_

_Many emotions rolled around inside of her as she spoke of the brief years of her life and the happiness that rapidly drained from her. Her story was heartbreaking but soon she felt nothing but the need for revenge. Revenge for the people who made her life into a living hell. Ivan felt this overflowing energy spill from this little girl and the only thing he wanted to do was help her flourish. He expanded his kindness by claiming her as his own and training her. She was able to successfully kill her old self and those attached to that terrible life. She had only just become a teenager when she became the syndicate’s top assassin._

(y/n)’s eyes opened into the unwelcome darkness of the room she was sleeping in. She shifted slightly in her position feeling the English man that was sleeping behind her. She had forgotten all about him. Their dinner date that night must’ve led to something more if they were sharing the bed together again. Thinking about it now would’ve put a bad taste in her mouth now. She moved his hand from her waist before throwing the covers off of herself. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand on her side of the bed before sneaking off to the bathroom. The harsh fluorescent lights made it a bit hard for her eyes to adjust but eventually, they did. She checked her phone and saw that she had a text message from an unknown number. It must be him. She opened it to reveal that it only had one word in the message. ‘Tomorrow’. There was no way to stop the tides of war that she was directly involved in. There wasn’t even a reason for her to stop these motions. She was just as invested in the mission as he wanted her to be and if push comes to shove, she will always kill for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _маленький манчкин: Little munchkin_
> 
> _дорогой: My dear_


	21. Chapter XX

The next night came just as quickly as the last one passed and Arthur was ready to uphold his end of the promise. (y/n) sat with one leg propped on the couch as the tv played softly in the background. He emerged from the dark hallway in simple clothes. They weren’t anything to write home about but they suited him well. Her full attention was on him as he walked towards the shoes he left near the door. He spoke to her as he slipped them on.

“I won’t be gone for too long. Just two hours, maybe less.”

“You think two hours isn’t a long time?”

He chuckled at her snarky response, sighing as he rose from his bent-over position. He grabbed the coat on the coat hanger next to him and threw it on, responding to her once again.

“It’s just going to be a few drinks. Michelle’s going to tell me about her vacation and I’ll catch her up on almost everything she missed. It shouldn’t be any longer than two hours and then I’ll be right back.”

(y/n) got up from the couch and walked towards the door where Arthur stopped just to look at her. When she was close enough to him, she leaned against the wall.

“I know. It’s just that it feels a bit weird not going with you, that’s all. This is the first time you’re leaving me alone here.”

“There’s no real reason for you to follow me, so why should I ask you to come? I’m leaving you here because I trust you, (y/n).”

They shared a soft smile with each other, each with a different meaning behind it. He turned to open the door and she followed behind him as he exited, staying by the door.

“If you’re gonna drive, don't drink too much. I don’t want anything bad happening to you, okay?”

He nodded before he turned and headed for his car. She stood silently in the doorway and watched as he got in his car and drove off. She closed the door behind her and turned to look at the empty flat. She’s lived in this place for a month and this was the first time she would be alone here. Was it even worth going through all of his things? He’s been so honest with her and she highly doubts that there would be anything of interest to her mission. Still, it was a part of her mission to gather any and all information deemed useful to her cause. She was cautious with her snooping, taking extra care to place any object that she touched back in its original position. Files upon files of dead-end cases found themselves in strange places around his house but none of them had any traces of her, Ivan, or the syndicate mentioned in them. He was surprisingly honest for a detective and she had to admire him for that. But he had no more information than what she started with. She dropped herself back on the couch with a heavy sigh. Just an hour and fifty some-odd minutes left until he was due to return.

For about half an hour, (y/n) hadn’t realized how comfortable she was in her place until the door was suddenly barged into. She immediately rolled off the couch and hid behind it, peering over the top of it to see who her intruders were. Two large men dressed in black entered the house cautiously, one with a gun in his hands. She was conscious of their movements as she moved to get a closer look at the gun. It’s an MP-445C. It’s a pretty high-grade Russian gun and those involved with its use usually belong to the Russian Syndicate. Were they here for her? She exposed herself carefully from her hiding place and spoke calmly to her intruders.

“What’s all this?”

Although shocked at her sudden appearance, they didn’t flinch at all. They both faced her and the second man with the gun pointed it at her, only to have his hand calmed by the first man. He spoke in a deep and heavily accented voice.

“Your presence has finally been requested, agent (l/n). We are here to take you with us.”

Of course. How could she forget? She was silent though she had nothing to negate. The first man barked an order in his harsh mother tongue and in the next moment small and large objects, both important and non, were thrown around creating a messy heap on the floor. She looked at the man that was still in front of her and asked one last question.

“Why don’t you just take me? I’m sure the mess is unnecessary.”

“Are you aware of the strange vehicle outside of this house?”

She shook her head.

“We are taking extra steps to make your summon look involuntary.”

“As in?”

“We have been ordered to stage your kidnapping, complete with a lure letter for the detective.”

“And of the vehicle?”

“We’ll assume it’ll follow us at a safe enough distance.”

She nodded. He reached his hand out for both of hers and he bound her wrist together paired with a black bag over her head. Understanding the situation completely, she was able to remain calm. Unnaturally so. She couldn’t really see what was happening through the thick fabric over her face but she became much more sensitive to her surroundings. One of the men picked her up and slung her over his shoulder as the three of them exited the now trashed house and entered a significantly smaller space. The speeding motion of this new space could only mean that they were heading to their destination. It was unknown to her but it would be better that way. After all, she will soon be reunited with her true love.


	22. Chapter XXI

“What’re ya’ll havin?”

“I’ll have a Long Island and get a Scotch on the rocks for this guy.”

Michelle ordered for the both of them. The bartender turned to make their drinks and she turned her attention to the blond next to her, a cheeky smile on her face. The bar they went to was a bit empty but it was a work night, so that was to be expected. They sat at the counter together and chattered happily with each other. Michelle scrolled through the month’s worth of pictures as she explained every major event in detail. Based on the new glow of her skin and the bright smile she had plastered on her face, one could easily tell that it was one of the greatest experiences of her life. They finished their first rounds of drinks by the time she had finished the recap of her vacation and ordered another.

“What about you? What have you been getting into since I’ve been gone?”

“Do you want the full story or the abridged version?”

Their drinks hit the counter and Michelle took the first sip of hers before answering.

“I guess I’m just really interested in how you’ve been holding up with that woman. I know she was a bit strange when we first met her, but it’s been a month. How is she?”

Arthur was next to grab his drink. He took a sip of the smooth liquor and sighed. It really has been a month. They’ve opened up to each other at an unimaginable speed and the thought of it made him smile. A smile that she was sure she'd never seen before.

“It’s a shame I had to meet her the way I did. But, strangely enough, I’m thankful for our meeting. I feel like we’ve changed each other in little ways that just kept adding up. If we had met under more normal circumstances I feel like I probably would’ve embarrassed myself by popping the question to her.”

Michelle nodded her head as she absorbed this new information. It was both a shock to her and not. That woman was truly beautiful, but falling in love that quickly? Highly likely if you’re attached to the hip, she supposed.

“Have you told her yet?”

“Told her what?”

“That you love her?”

He choked on this drink, quickly setting it back on the counter as he coughed to clear his airway. Now that it was mentioned, he never _did_ say that he loved her. To say that you trust someone was one thing, but to say that you _love_ them was complete surrender. But, they both trusted each other as far as he knew. Perhaps his next step was to say that he loves her.

“I think you need to tell her how you really feel.”

“What about you?”

“We might not have spent forever together, but I got the most important part out of the way. Just tell her I said hi, will you?”

He nodded with a sheepish smile on his face. 

“At least let me pay for your drinks before I go.”

He pulled up to the curb where his flat was and parked his car. He built himself up and ran through every possible way he could admit himself to her until he found the right words to say. He was ready to tell her exactly how he felt, but his heart dropped. His door was busted into with such a force that it was split in half. He carefully stepped into the invaded home and maneuvered around the things of his that were littered all over the floor. Of course, they didn’t matter to him at that moment. The only thing he needed to know was where she was. Among the mess shone a lone slip of paper on the low coffee table in the living room and if his heart could drop any lower, he would’ve died where he stood. She was taken. His love was taken the one and only time he wasn’t with her. He crumpled the slip of paper tightly in his shaking fist as he turned to leave his ruined flat, mentally cursing himself. He had to go to her no matter what. He had to save her. He had to tell her even if it would be the death of him.


	23. Chapter XXII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TW: Graphic description of violence**

Time was of the essence for him. He cut corners and took back roads just to reach her faster. The address on that slip of paper led him to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. Far enough for just about anything to happen. He grabbed a small pistol from the center console before he left his car. He was careful and quiet as he entered the empty, run-down building. Every step he took was more like an announcement of his presence due to the old floorboards, but he prevailed. The determination he had boiling inside of him continued to push him forward. He crept deeper into the old building until he reached the heart of it. He pushed past tattered plastic curtains into a vast room barely illuminated by the moonlight through the holes in the roof. All that he could make out in the room was a long table in the center of it and an empty chair at the opposite end from where he stood. It was quiet except for the faint chirping of the crickets outside.

“It’s so nice to see you again, detective Kirkland.”

That voice. It was like a nightmare come to life for him. The heavy sound of boots knocking on the floor grew closer as his outline became more prominent in the silver lighting. A towering man with enough confidence to fill the room with an unspeakable fear. Here they meet once again. Ivan took his seat in the lone chair in the room and Arthur was quick to aim his gun at him. Ivan’s smile never faltered for a moment. Instead, he looked on with intrigue.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Oh yeah?” The British man growled, cocking his gun. “And why is that?”

Two large men emerged silently from the shadows and were quick to disarm the man before them. One took the gun from his hands, dismantling it, while the other brought him to his knees, cuffing his hands together behind his back. The moon shone like a spotlight on his kneeling and furious form. Furious that he had been ambushed. Furious that he was made a fool for the man he was made to capture. Furious that he was running out of time.

“Where is she, you bastard? Where’s (y/n)?”

“Are you sure you want to see her? I fear you may not like what you see.”

Ivan replied in a mockingly sad tone. What did he do to her? Arthur's heart raced as several scenarios played in his mind. He only hoped that she was still alive and in one piece. What could he have possibly done to her?

“Cut the shit, Ivan. _Where is she_?”

His impatience brought an odd sense of joy to the Russian man, making him laugh. It was sick and twisted.

“Very well. _Подойди сюда (Podoydi syuda)_ , (y/n).”

Another pair of heavy shoes hit the ground in lighter steps from Ivan’s. The moon lent its light to the incoming figure but Arthur still couldn’t believe that it was her. Her physical appearance remained the same, more or less, save for the new clothes she had on, but the real change was in her demeanor. Her lips were straight, her eyes were cold, and her aura had completely changed. She felt like a completely different person from the (y/n) he knew and grew to love. She approached Ivan’s side and stopped next to him. She looked to the man on his knees and had to pretend to feel nothing, but inside it killed her. If only they had met under different circumstances. Ivan reached inside of his coat and pulled out something covered by a black silk handkerchief. He unfurled it to reveal a gift for the assassin. A beautiful white pistol, similar to the one her intruder had, with an intricate rose design along the barrel.

“A gift for your hard work.”

She smiled graciously as she accepted her gift. It was a sensible weight in her hands and was already fully loaded. A gun made for a beautiful assassin.

“Thank you, Ivan.”

“Why don’t you try it, _моя любовь (moya lyubov)_.”

She nodded before slowly approaching the British man kneeling helplessly on the ground. There were so many things going on inside of him all at once, so many questions that he needed answers to. It was against his composure to cry but he had little to no choice at this point. Hot tears edged the lining of his eyes and clouded his vision but he refused to let them fall. He looked up at the woman who had just stopped in front of him in complete disbelief. She lied to him. The entire month they had spent together, did it mean nothing to her? Was he not enough to even make her reconsider? He was choking on his words, unsure of which question to ask her first. All of his words jumbled together as different thoughts swam through his head as he was completely unaware of the name he hoarsely called out for.

“(y/n)...”

“This will all be over quickly Arthur. Your sweet release will be here soon.”

Her words were a nipping chill from her sweet lips. Her (e/c) eyes had lost most if not all her life leaving behind a machine in its place. In her place. She raised the beautiful gun to his head, forcing him to stare down the porcelain white barrel of it. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to be a normal woman who made a mistake. She was supposed to grow and learn. They were supposed to trust each other and build each other up. They were supposed to fall in love with each other. Why couldn’t he stop her?

“(y/n) please, you don’t have to do this.”

He spoke lowly to her at first, but she refused to listen to him. She refused to answer.

“You don’t have to do this, (y/n)! Please!”

It was now when the tears began to slowly roll down his tired face. He was begging for his life in front of her and Ivan. She broke the brave detective much to the Russian man’s delight, giving him a show he couldn’t have performed better himself. There was no remnant of the woman she pretended to be for the detective. She threw that piece of her away the moment she was summoned. There were to be no more distractions from this point on and she was completely willing to move on from her temporary mistake.

“I am not loyal to you, Arthur. It’s that simple. In another life, I pray you won’t make the same mistakes.”

She was willing to move on, but he refused to. Her finger was placed on the trigger and she was ready to pull. His vibrant emerald eyes looked into her deadened orbs for what will be the last time and he spoke warmly with a sorrowful smile.

“I love you.”

Her heart skipped a beat at those three words and a light flinted in her faded colors. She kept her composure in a snap and moved her gun quickly to his chest just opposite of his heart and shot him. He doubled over with his breath quickly fading and she was quick to turn away, heading back for the man at the head of the table. Ivan’s smile was twisted with sick joy. He rose from his aged seat and left with (y/n) by his side, his followers behind him until only Arthur was left alone in the dim room. Blood pooled quickly around him and sparkled where the silver light hit it. Every gasp of air he took was more painful than the last. He was still alive but for how much longer? His eyes were becoming increasingly more difficult to keep open. He could feel his life flashing before his eyes but instead of his whole life, it was just the month he had spent with (y/n). He began to open himself up so much in so little time that it became the highlight of his life.

‘ _In another life, I pray you won’t make the same mistakes_.’ 

If there were one mistake he would be willing to make in another life, it would be to love her all over again. He was no longer strong enough to resist the urge to give up. All he wanted to do at that moment was go to sleep. The last glimpse of anything he caught before was just a pair of black oxfords. And then there was a weightlessness. That was all he could remember before his end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Подойди сюда: Come here_
> 
> _моя любовь: My love_


	24. Epilogue

Beeping. Steady beeping. Muffled voices. What was happening? Arthur was careful when he opened his eyes allowing them to adjust to the harsh fluorescent lights surrounding him. His body still ached terribly and only allowed for the slightest of head movements. Just in front of him was John speaking to a nurse who was just on her way out. As soon as she left, he turned and to his greatest surprise saw Arthur finally awake in the bed. He rushed to his side, still careful not to touch him.

“Arthur, can you hear me? How are you feeling?”

He groaned in response and rolled his eyes. For the most part, he really just needed some water since his throat was really dry. Probably already figuring this out, John readied a cup of cool water for his friend and held it to his mouth helping him down the refreshment. It was definitely the thing he needed. Arthur finally spoke but his voice was still a bit hoarse.

“What happened?”

“We have been tracking (y/n) for only two days since the France mission since we found some ‘more-than-questionable’ information on her. Two days later she gets kidnapped only to be brought to Ivan. She basically confirmed for us that she was a spy meant to meddle in our information. We were originally going to just stay back and observe what they were planning, but then-”

“I came.”

John nodded sadly.

“We had to make sure the coast was completely clear before we made our move and just our luck too. If they had moved any slower you would’ve died.”

“...And what about (y/n).”

His face suddenly turned dark with regret and his silence was elongated. He wasn’t sure if he should tell him, but he figured he wouldn’t have any other choice.

“She’s dead. Killed with her own gun last I heard.”

Silence. How should he feel? There were still so many things he had to process but there never seemed to be enough time for that.

“Is there anything else you need to tell me, John?”

“We’re currently in a war against the Russians with the French on their side. Our parliament will most likely need to eat shit off the American’s shoes before they can consider helping us, and if Francis keeps flirting with politicians in other countries as he did with his own, we’ll have very few allies left on our side. All of this slipped right past us because of that little girl.”

John was angry, and rightfully so, but Arthur couldn’t believe that all of this boiled over in the span of a month. There were too many questions that needed to be answered but there was only one person who had the answers he was looking for. Should he have the gall to go looking for him, he would make Ivan pay dearly for everything he’s done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I wanna give a huge thank you to everyone that has read through, supported, and completed this story! It has been an exciting month and hopefully, sometime in the distant future, I'll be able to return to this story once again. Thank you once again!!!_


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